Snakehead
by Razell
Summary: A new student tries to adjust to life as a mutant and a student at Xavier's. Some minor cursing, dirty jokes, occasional naked boys and violence. Some Ray X Scaleface, X-23 X Kyle (Wild Child). Sorry, but I have to put this on hold for now. I hope to get back to it soon.
1. Chapter 1

Snakehead

1

Ray Crisp, A.K.A. Berzerker, looked out the window to see a jet-black, high-end sedan pull into the Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters' driveway. Professor Xavier, Wolverine and Cyclops were there awaiting the school's newest student, and everyone was curious as to who he would be, what powers he would have. The back right door opened and a teenage boy emerged. He was of average height and build, with brown hair, though it was too far to see the color of his eyes. Something metallic glinted around his throat. He turned, and pulled a travel bag out of the car. The car left almost as soon as the door was shut.

Thomas Salmons watched as the car left him behind, and tried to subdue the anger he felt toward his father.

"Mr. Salmons, I presume?" Xavier smiled at the new arrival.

"Yes." The voice was tinny, metallic, and came, not from his mouth, but from the thin metal device encircling his throat. "I am." They shook hands, almost like businessmen completing a transaction.

"This is Mr. Logan and Mr. Summers." Xavier indicated the other two men.

"Wolverine and Cyclops?" His mechanical voice betrayed little emotion.

"You are familiar with the X-Men?"

"Isn't everyone?"

"Storm, Miss Monroe, wanted to be here as well, but she's feeling under the weather, no pun intended."

Thomas was too tired, too depressed to laugh. His father had arranged this, to protect the family name. Right now Marcus Salmons was telling his friends in The Hellfire Club that his youngest son was at a boarding school in Europe. He was somewhat grateful that his father was too ashamed to send him to The Hellfire Academy, he'd heard awful things about that particular school from his older brother, Richard, who worked for the club.

"How many of the students know sign language? In case my vocal projector is damaged."

"Most, it is part of the basic curriculum. Many mutants lack the ability to physically speak."

"Though I doubt from the same reason as myself." Thomas almost smiled, but didn't. He opened his mouth.

Ray's jaw dropped as the kid's jaw distended and a long, scaly form slithered out of his mouth into the sunlight. From his window he could see it clearly, an arrow-shaped head with glittering yellow-green eyes.

He had a serpent for a tongue.

It was about four feet long with the color and patterned scales of a rattler. It swayed in the air for a moment, its red tongue flickering, before withdrawing back into the boy's mouth. He couldn't see the expressions on any of the assembled staff, but he was practically floored. He wondered what Toad would think of that.

"How can you breath like that?" Scott asked in shock.

"I have two breathing tubes, one on each side of my . . . _Tongue_." Thomas stated, "But I have to eat through the serpent's mouth." He made a strange sound that was meant to be a chuckle.

"Very well. Do you wish to meet the other students now, or would you rather rest?"

"Perhaps after I unpack?"

"Your father . . . Didn't ask, but you'll have to share a room. The school has somewhat limited space."

"Who am I sharing a room with?"

"Let's go meet him, shall we?"

Thomas slung his bag over his shoulder, waving off Logan's offer to carry it. He followed Xavier through the doors and into the building, past several gawking kids. One was a teenage girl wearing a loud yellow coat, another a tall, skinny boy with straw-colored hair. As they reached the stairs Thomas was about to ask how Xavier expected to climb the stairs in a wheelchair when the chair lifted itself up off the floor and began floating up the stairs.

"Telekinesis. I am a telepath and telekinetic." Xavier answered the unasked question.

"Are you reading my mind right now?"

"No. I try not to intrude upon my students' privacy."

As they reached the top of the stairs two boys stood there, watching. One was tall, about six feet, handsome, with green eyes and blonde hair dyed orange in the front and made-up like a stylized sunrise. The other . . . He stood somewhat aloof to the side, a purple haired youth with an arrogant air about him and a t-shirt that read "_Kill All Humans_." He he was leaning against the wall with his arms akimbo.

_I hope he's not my roommate. _Thomas thought.

_Don't worry about that, Snakehead. I work alone._

"Mr. Quire, we do not enter other peoples minds without good cause. How many times . . ."

"Blah, blah, blah. If you're not reading his mind, how did you know I was talking to him?" Kid Omega challenged.

"Because I was reading your mind, Quentin. I know you too well . . ."

"_You_ don't know anything about me." Quentin Quire replied haughtily, then jerked his thumb at the blond boy, "_He's_ your roommate."

"Ray Crisp." Ray extended a hand and smiled, "They call me Berzerker."

"Thomas Salmons." Thomas shook his hand, "I guess I'm Snakehead now."

"Salmons? Of the New Haven Salmons?" Quentin asked, though he knew the answer already, "Your dad's a big-shot member of The Hellfire Club, why'd he send you here?"

Thomas' brown eyes sparkled wickedly, "To see what a true jack-ass looked like. Now that I've seen _you_, I guess I can go home."

Ray and Logan laughed, and Xavier had to stifle a smile.

"Whatever. " Quentin turned and walked away.

"Don't mind him." Ray smirked, "I think a rabid badger crawled up his butt and had babies."

"Ray. Please, let's be civil." Xavier interjected, but he was glad to see a smile cross Thomas' face. He seemed a very unhappy young man, and maybe they could help him.

...

The room was about the size of a hotel room, two beds, a dresser, a TV and a bathroom. There was a large window facing the driveway, and several posters for Punk and Heavy Metal bands adorned the walls. A few personal affects were placed on a small table at the head of the bed closer to the window.

"I take it that is your bed." Thomas pointed at the window-side bed, "It doesn't matter to me."

"I'll let you get settled in, then introduce you to the other students." Xavier turned and left the two alone.

"So, Ray, what's your mutation? Too darn good-looking?"

"Yeah, there's that. And _this_," Ray held out his right hand, and visible electrical arcs began dancing across his palm and around his fingers. "By the way, if you're hitting on me, I'm straight. Now Anole . . ."

"I'm not hitting on you. I'm just saying you don't look like a snake or a fish or something. You can pass for 'human'." He reached up and touched his collar, "Please, be careful with that, I'd hate to lose my voice or get burned to a crisp."

Ray smiled, "Don't worry. I'm careful with my powers. I have to be. If I should start sparking in the pool or the shower . . . I'd fry myself with everyone else."

Tom snapped his fingers, "I remember now. I saw you on TV. You blew up two police cars." He smiled, "It was totally self-defense, from what I saw, but how'd you get away with it?"

"Yeah, _that_. Some nuts had just blown up the school, with me and everyone else in it, then the cops came after us. When it all calmed down, they knew they couldn't make the charges stick without the ACLU jumping on them. So they let it slide. But let's just say I'm not on the police department's Christmas card list."

"You're lucky you're not in The Vault doing Iron Pig's laundry."

Ray laughed, "Iron Pig?"

"I hate that guy."

"Me too."

Thomas pulled a small, heavily wrapped item from his bag. He carefully unwrapped it, revealing a small Egyptian sphinx made of some sort of shiny black stone. It sat serenely on a base covered in cuneiform. He set it carefully on the table next to his bed.

"Cool. Can I see that?"

"Sure. I got it in Egypt. I guess you didn't have much time to see the sights when you were fighting Apocalypse."

"What's it say?"

"My best guess, _Made in China."_

They both laughed.

Ray set the statuette back on the table.

"No doubt you saw my . . . _Power_ from the window." Thomas said softly as he unpacked his clothes, a few photos and books, "It was so sudden. One day I woke up and I had a rattlesnake for a tongue. I panicked and bit myself, fortunately I'm immune to my own poison. My father was already angry that my brother fell in love with a mutant, then _I_ turned out to be a mutant. I thought he was going to have a stroke."

"At least he didn't throw you out into the street. I lived in a sewer for two years before I came here."

Thomas turned in surprise, "You were a Morlock?"

Now it was Ray who was surprised, "How do you know about the Morlocks?"

"Richard, he's my brother. His girlfriend Tommy is a Morlock."

"The rainbow girl?"

"The same. Dad practically disowned Rick for that." He pulled out a picture and handed it to Ray. It depicted a young man with brown hair and beautiful woman who seemed to made of translucent streaks of brilliant colors.

Ray nodded, "Yeah. That's Tommy alright. I wonder what Callisto thought about that."

"From what I understand, she wasn't happy."

"Sounds like Callisto. Her power is permanent PMS." He paused, "That . . . er, _snake_ . . . Is it poisonous?"

"Deadly. I call him _Junior_." He said casually, "Tommy told me about a Morlock with a long tongue with a head on the end . . ."

Ray nodded, "_Bliss!_ I thought I'd seen something like that before. Only her bite just knocks you out, and she doesn't have scales."

"Maybe I can meet her some time." He smirked, "So, is this Quentin person _always_ a dick?"

Ray laughed, "I think 'dick' is his middle name."

There was a knock on the door. Ray opened it to reveal a small, reddish-brown creature that looked like a cross between an insect and an alligator stuffed into a schoolboy's uniform. He was wearing wearing wire-rim glasses that almost distracted from his blood-red eyes and maw full of fangs.

"Greetings, Ray. I heard we had a new classmate." The creature walked into the room and extended a taloned hand, "I'm Broo. I would like to welcome you to The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters."

"Hello," Thomas said, shaking the chitinous hand, "Thomas Salmons. They call me _Snakehead_."

Well, up till meeting Quentin Quire, nobody had called him that, but it had a certain ring to it.

"Snakehead. A rather curious appellation. Why do they call you that?"

Thomas showed him. The serpent was even more impressive close up, it was about as thick as Ray's wrist with glittering scales arranged in a diamond-shaped pattern. The eyes were yellow with vertically slit green pupils.

"How do you fit that thing in your mouth?" Ray asked, amazed.

"I have no idea. I just do."

Broo scratched his chitinous chin with a thick talon, "Fascinating. How do you eat?"

"The snake eats for me."

"Incredible."

"Sorry. Broo's an alien, and subtlety isn't his strong point." Ray explained.

"Really. What kind of alien?"

"Have you ever heard of the Brood?"

"No."

"You will, eventually. My . . . _People_ are, sadly, savage parasitoids who implant their eggs in the bodies of others species and when they hatch, the host is physically and mentally transformed into a new Brood."

"Like the Mind Flayers from D&amp;D?"

"Yes, the analogy between the Brood transformation and Illithid ceremorphosis is quite appropriate. Most people use a flawed Xenomorph analogy, however, we transform the body, we don't burst out of it."

"Who was your host?" He seemed remarkably unmoved by the horror that was the Brood reproductive cycle. Of course, his vocal projector had a limited range of emotional tones.

"I do not know. I was removed from the unfortunate's body and artificially grown in a government laboratory. . . They can do that, you know. Save the host and the Broodling, though most of the time they kill the Broodling."

"Rather unfair. It's not their fault they got implanted in somebody."

"Perhaps. But, unfortunately, most of my race are not like myself. You see, I am a mutant as well. I feel kindness, friendship, love. The Brood hate and fear these qualities so much that they tried to kill me several times. They see me as an abomination. Most Brood are born full of fear and hunger, totally amoral. They kill without mercy. They simply can't feel mercy or kindness or friendship, and those that do, like me, are killed or driven away. All other races fear them. They don't believe that they can risk letting them live."

"What will you look like fully grown?"

"Don't encourage him," Ray whispered in Thomas' ear, "He'll go on forever." The blond boy stood straight and smiled, "I'm sure Broo will show you the file on the Brood later, but they're expecting us downstairs."

As the trio headed down the stairs, Thomas turned to the young Brood, "I really would like to learn more. I'm an amateur entomolgyst . . ."

"What a coincidence! I am an insectoid! I think we will make great friends!"

...

Later,

_I can see his guts! How can you stand it!_ Thomas signed to Ray.

"We get used to it. Besides, Glob's Quentin's friend, and about as friendly," Ray whispered as Thomas tore his eyes away from the translucent youth known as Glob Herman.

_He could at least put on some clothes_! Thomas signed back.

"_You_ want to tell him that?"

Thomas shrugged. He'd met most of the students and faculty, some seemed nice, some seemed annoying, and some were world-class jerks. He already foresaw clashes with Cyclops, Quentin, Glob and a few others.

Oh well, he was used to it. Except the bullies he'd known before didn't have super powers.

...

That night,

"Ray, I'm sorry about being such a jerk."

"What do you mean?" Ray was genuinely surprised, Thomas had been very friendly toward him, and had a streak of wicked humor that put him in stitches.

"Here I've been bitching about my dad for being ashamed of me, when your parents . . . Well, you know."

"You think you're being selfish? Insensitive? Nope, you just had your dad shuffle you off. Your life has been turned upside down. You have genuine pain, and just because other people have suffered doesn't mean you can't admit you're hurting too." He sat up in his bed, "What you can't do. What you can't _ever_ do is _give up_. Don't let it beat you. And don't hold that resentment, that hate inside, or you'll go crazy. If you feel like you can't handle it, or you just need somebody to talk to, well, talk to me. Or Xavier, or Logan. Now there's a guy who understands pain. Both our lives together are a picnic compared to what he's been through."

"Thanks, Ray. It's all so . . . Confusing."

"That's life, man, that's life. An' it's a lot better than the alternative."

"I never thought about that. But you guys have all been pretty close to The Reaper before. And, if I'm going to be one of you, I'm going to have to accept that, too."

Ray smiled, "It's usually not that bad, but there have been times . . . Like with Apocalypse, when I thought I'd bought it. But we're well trained, and we're fighting for something bigger than ourselves. That's what makes it worth it."

"I'm . . . _W__eak_." Thomas said softly, "I'm not super strong, I can't heal wounds in seconds. I can't call down lightning or summon ice or cause explosions. I can bite people with a deadly venom if I'm within four feet-six inches of them. And X-Men don't kill. So what can I do?"

"You don't have to be superhuman to learn how to fight. And not all X-Men are suited for battle. It's important to have people who can take care of things behind the scenes; communications, repairs, tech, research and intel. All the power in the world wouldn't have stopped Apocalypse if no one had known anything about him and his weaknesses. You have to give yourself credit. You haven't even started yet for God's sake, who knows what you can do."

"I . . . You're right." He smiled softly, "I have to be good at _something_."

"Be good at whatever you want. Your only limits are the ones you make for yourself."

"Thanks Ray. You're pretty good at this."

"I learned from the best. You think I was all super-soldier when I crawled out of the sewers?" He yawned, "Now shut up, we need to get an early start tomorrow."

"Sure Thing."

Thomas removed his vocal projector and set it on the table, he never could sleep with that thing on. As was his habit, he moved the pillows to the foot of the bed and his feet toward the headboard. That was how he slept, always had. Ray was somewhat baffled by this, but he was used to weird habits.

After a few minutes Thomas got out of bed, went to the window and silently looked down upon the lit driveway.

"Are you alright?"

Tom turned and signed _Yes. Just . . . Thinking._

Then he crawled back into bed and fell into a silent sleep.

...

To be continued . . .

Notes:

This is a multiple cross-over, combining characters from X-Men: Evolution and various X-Men titles. Ray and some of the students, like Bobby Drake and Jamie Maddox and the staff are from Evolution. Toad and the others, Evo. Broo, Quentin, Glob, Anole and the Morlocks are from the comics.

The Hellfire Club is the old Hellfire Club, the one NOT run by psychotic 12 year olds, but they have The Hellfire Academy, under Emma Frost.

Thomas' older brother, Richard is a Hellfire Club operative. In the comics, Richard Salmons fell in love with the Morlock Tommy (who is a she, by the way) and was killed by The Marauders trying to protect her. He's a canon character.

If they get married, both Rick's brother and his wife will be named 'Tommy'. Awkward . . .

Thomas Salmons/Snakehead is my character. And yes, I do sleep with my head at the foot of the bed and my feet at the headboard.


	2. Chapter 2

Snakehead

2

Everyone watched in amazement or disgust as Junior swallowed another boiled egg. Tom had taken off his voice projector to eat, as it tended to make odd noises in reaction to swallowing motions.

"Man . . ." Bobby gasped.

_Junior has his own mind._ Tom signed, _I'm still getting use to controlling him._

"Have you ever eaten a rat?"

"Jamie!" Practically everyone shouted in unison.

_No. Just annoying little kids._ Junior turned and flicked his tongue at Jamie Madrox.

Kurt picked up the vocal projector and looked it over, "Who made this?"

Annoyed, Tom snatched it back, _A friend of my dad. A guy named Donald Pierce. He's a real genius._

"Donald Pierce? From Pierce Consolidated Mining? I used to work for him back in Kentucky." Sam spoke up, "He's a mutant-hating nut."

Thomas Salmons latched the device back into place, and Junior vanished back into the cavern of his mouth and his jaw hinged back into its proper alignment.

"I didn't know that. How did you work for him, you're underage . . ."

"I was a miner."

Tom ignored the obvious pun, "So he's a bigot who uses child labor, _wonderful_. Fortunately my father's too embarrassed to tell anyone I'm a mutant. "

"Pierce is also a cyborg." Roberto added.

"That I knew. Dad said his arms and legs are mechanical."

"I've always wondered how he'd do in fight with Magneto . . ." Ray took a sip of his orange juice. "That'd be entertaining."

"Knowing Pierce, he's probably made of some kind of non-magnetic materials." Kurt noted.

"Is there something I don't know about Mr. Pierce?"

"He's an evil lunatic who wants to wipe out all mutants." Ray said, "He's made a bunch of people into cyborgs to fight us. He calls them 'The Reavers'"

Thomas was stunned. He'd heard of The Reavers, psychotic, anti-mutant cyborg terrorists on par with The Friends of Humanity and other violent hate groups. "I had no idea Pierce was behind _them_."

"He likes to keep his hands clean. Public image and all that." Jubilee leaned back in her chair, "But he's a real monster."

"Then I better have this," He pointed to his vocal projector, "Examined. It could be a listening device or something . . ."

"Or a bomb." Jamie grinned, "Maybe it'll blow if you say a certain word."

"I hope you're nearby when I do, so I can take you to Hell with me."

That got a smirk out of Quentin and a few chuckles from some of the others.

"Five bucks says Ray goes Berzerker on the new kid and fries him within a week." Kid Omega pulled out a $5 bill.

"What was that, _Quintavius_?" Ray growled.

"Quintavius?" That odd buzzing sound that indicated laughter came from Thomas' vocal projector.

"Ten bucks says Quentin kills him before the weeks over." Bobby pulled out a $10.

"My _boot_ says nobody's killin' anybody, unless it's me." Wolverine walked into the dining room, "Now put away your lunch money and finish your breakfast. B-Team has Danger Room in fifteen minutes."

The groans quickly indicated to Thomas who was on B-Team.

The purple-skinned boy with the mohawk, Kid Gladiator, just yawned, "Enough with the lame simulations! Kid Gladiator longs for true combat!" He rather roughly elbowed Quentin, "I say we wake up Apocalypse so that I may have a _real_ fight!"

"You have the mental capacities of a paramecium." Quentin replied, rubbing his sore ribs.

Thomas wasn't surprised that the over-enthusiastic Kubark didn't realize he was being insulted.

He had his own problems at the moment, however. He had to get a physical examination. And physical examination usually meant he was expected to do something physical. He had never been a fan of gym class, and from what he'd heard of this 'Danger Room' he was certain that he would not enjoy it. It wasn't that he was lazy . . . Well, maybe he _was_ lazy, but that was beside the point. Gym class was a series of pointless, tedious exercises and games that held no appeal for him. Maybe this would be different, but he doubted it.

...

The first thing Thomas noticed as he entered the medical suite was an impossibly large head with two small legs and four small arms. He was dressed in an obviously custom made medical uniform. He grinned, revealing large shark-like teeth. He had brown hair, white eyes and two small horns atop his massive skull. "Hello, Mr. Salmons. I'm Dr. William Sugarman. My colleague, Dr. McCoy and I will be conducting the physical examination." He extended a small, clawed hand and Thomas shook it. The creature was stronger than he looked.

"Please, just call me Thomas.

"Of course, Thomas."

A husky, blue-furred creature entered the room. Dr. McCoy was wearing thick glasses and a suit and tie. He was, however, barefoot. "So, what do you think of our esteemed institution thus far?"

Institution is right. Thomas told himself. "I've made some friends, and I've made some enemies."

"So soon?"

"Have you met Quintavius Quire?"

Sugarman let out a booming laugh.

"I understand your roommate is Ray. How is that working out?"

"Fine. He's a great guy and we get along well."

After having examined the vocal projector and determined it harmless, the doctors decided to take a venom sample from 'Junior'.

Dr. Henry McCoy held a vial under Junior's fangs, watching as venom flowed freely into the receptical. "With luck, we should be able to develop an anti-venom."

"I hope so, I'd hate to poison someone I actually like."

"Quite." McCoy concurred while handing the vial of venom to Dr. Sugarman, who sealed it and placed it in a cold storage container, "Would you describe yourself as athletic?"

Tom laughed, which translated into a strange buzzing sound, "No."

"Do you have any physical talents beyond your tongue?"

That just sounded wrong.

"Not that I know of. Though I may wake up one morning covered in scales." He smiled wryly, "Then again, I might wake up looking like, say, Ash Stymest."

Beast laughed, "I think Mr. Quire beat you to that one." He frowned, "Do you have any _issues_ regarding your physical appearance?"

"No. I was just joking." Thomas noted that Dr. McCoy apparently put it into his file anyway.

"Do you have any mutants in your family?"

"My brother's girlfriend. But in my ancestry, if there were any, they kept it secret."

"Any history of physical or mental illness?"

He slumped his shoulders, "My family made a lot of money on the slave trade in the 1700's. I don't know if they were crazy, just plain evil or both. My dad's a bigot, and _that's_ highly contagious."

"Yes, it is. But you probably shouldn't be so hard on your father, most people fear what they don't understand. He may come to accept you for who and what you are."

"I know. It could be a lot worse. Ray told me how his parents threw him out, and he had to live on the streets and in the sewers. Some of the others, like Kyle, went through the same thing, or even worse. I know my father doesn't hate me, he's still taking care of me. He could have just thrown me away. I don't hate him, either, even though I sound like it sometimes. It's just hard for both of us to come to terms with this."

"That's only natural. People need time to adjust to these kinds of changes. I've known mutants who hated _themselves_ for being mutants." He shrugged, "And, your mother . . . ?" The blue-furred doctor asked gently.

A darkness came over Thomas' face, "Smoking. Cigarettes killed her." There was a mixture of sadness and rage upon his face, "They should ban those things like they do crack and meth."

"Unfortunately, the tobacco industry is very influential in Washington."

"You want to know something ironic? My family made their money off of slaves and tobacco." The disgust was evident in his face, if not his metallic voice, "I've inherited a legacy of suffering and death."

"You make your own legacy. If you go back far enough, we all have rotten apples on the family tree. What matters is what you do."

"I know, but . . ." His eyes widened as Sugarman's tongue, long, rapier thin, darted from his mouth to snatch an empty canister from across the room.

Dr. Sugarman smiled, "Perhaps I should have told you about _my_ tongue." He scratched his massive chin, "I can pierce almost anything with my tongue, even intangible beings. Not even I know how long it can extend, I stopped measuring at 50'."

Dr. McCoy came back to the matter at hand, "How did you view mutants before you changed?"

"I really didn't think much about it, besides thinking that some of them looked pretty cool." He took a deep breath, "To be honest, I've never really liked humanity. Somebody once said that human history was a long series of brutal wars interrupted by sporadic outbreaks of peace, and I agree. And it's more than just war. We throw away enough food to feed most of the planet while millions starve. Perfectly good houses sit abandoned or are torn down while people freeze to death in the streets or sleep in the sewers. We've wiped out thousands of species of animals and even entire human racial groups. Magneto may be crazy, but he was in Auschwitz, he knows the evil people are capable of. He didn't create himself as a villain, humanity made him that way. I count mutants as part of humanity, no better, no worse."

Beast sighed heavily, " That's only part of the picture. For every person who doesn't care there are hundreds who do. I've personally seen people sacrifice their lives for complete strangers. I think we're essentially noble creatures, when the occasion arises, that good comes out. Whether it's a cop or firefighter rushing into a burning building to save someone or a passing motorist or dog walker who sees a kid fall into a frozen lake and risks their own life to try to save them, I see nobility, self-sacrifice in people. That's why Charles founded this school, out of hope for a future where humans and mutants could live together in peace." He smiled, "Look at your own brother. He's in love with a mutant woman, and he doesn't care what society says about that. That gives me hope for the future."

"I hope you're right."

...

Later,

Xavier had been monitoring the conversations, trying to learn more about Thomas' state of mind. It was somewhat worrying how fatalistic he was. It was odd how he could be laughing, joking and quickly making friends while his mind was brooding on all the suffering, injustice and hatred in the world.

"Well, Hank, what do you think about him?"

"He's highly intelligent and fairly agile, but he's not very strong. His power is only effective within a few feet of himself, and it's lethal." Hank shook his head, "I don't think he's cut out for combat."

"He'll have to learn to defend himself, regardless. The worst thing we can do is have him get in a fight with only his venom to protect him." He paused for a moment. He hated, he had _always_ hated, the idea of training children to fight, but it was unavoidable. Between anti-mutant humans, anti-human mutants and genocidal maniacs like Apocalypse they had to learn how to survive in a world that often feared and hated them.

...

To be continued . . .

Notes:

In this universe, Sugarman is a good guy. I named him William because I thought it was as a good a name as any.

Donald Pierce is still evil, he just hasn't revealed it publicly, yet.

Ash Stymest is a famous, incredibly good-looking British male model.

Kyle is Kyle Gibney, Wild Child.


	3. Chapter 3

Snakehead

3

Bayville was one of those places that couldn't decide if it was a city or town. It felt like Mayberry trying to be New York City. There seemed to be more fancy buildings and establishments than people to use them. It reminded Thomas of Atlanta, without the Southern charm.

Ray Crisp and Thomas Salmons were strolling through the mall. Thomas had to buy more clothes and they'd managed to shake that jerk Summers off their tail in the crowded food court.

He was probably still waiting for his chicken sandwich . . .

"I don't need anything. Really." Ray was wearing tan khakis with a gray t-shirt and blue jacket. He was wearing sandals on his otherwise bare feet.

"C'mon. If you see something you want Ray, just tell me." Thomas was wearing a black jacket, a mesh shirt over his bare chest and blue jeans with black sneakers. He certainly didn't dress like a rich kid. He was carrying a bag of somewhat practical clothing, things he hadn't thought to pack when getting ready to leave for Xavier's. It just felt wrong shopping with a friend and only buying things for himself. "I have enough money for - "

"Yo, over here."

Both boys turned to see a hunched, unwashed figure in ragged clothes crouching on a bench. Due to his green skin, Thomas assumed he was a mutant.

"Hey, Todd." Ray said, "Thomas, this is Todd Tolensky. Better known as the Toad. Todd, this is Thomas Salmons."

"Salmon's? What kinda name is that?"

Thomas smiled, "A _fishy_ one."

Todd laughed and hopped down from the bench. " You seem cool, yo. But what's up with the Dalek voice?"

"I have a snake for a tongue." He said bluntly, "I'm mute."

"Sorry, Dawg. I didn't mean nothin'."

Thomas shrugged, "I know. Why haven't I seen you around at the mansion?"

"Because I'm _The Enemy_."

Thomas looked at Ray in confusion, the taller boy just shrugged, "I told you about The Brotherhood, remember? Toad's part of The Brotherhood."

He looked at the pitiful creature crouching nearby, "No offence, but I was expecting our enemies to be like Apocalypse or Magneto or The Friends of Humanity. Why are you guys enemies?"

"Politics." Ray replied simply.

"I hate politics."

Toad shrugged, "We all do."

"You . . . Uh, look like you could use a new set of clothes. Since Ray won't let me buy him anything . . ."

"Is Summers with you?" Todd looked around anxiously.

Tom snorted, "That jerk? We ditched him."

"Good." He cocked his head, "Thanks for the offer, but I don't need charity. Besides, the way you two are dressed, it's pretty safe to say you don't have _any_ fashion sense. Sandals and mesh shirts? Blech!" Todd gave an exaggerated grimace. He smiled, "You really got a snake for a tongue, yo?"

"Yes."

"C'n I see?"

"Not here. It might start a panic."

"Your _clothes_ might start a panic, yo."

"I'm serious. A lot of people are Ophidiophobic."

"What's that?"

"Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes." Tom explained, "I can't just stick out my snake in the middle of the mall . . . Wait, that came out wrong."

It was too late, both Todd and Ray were laughing hysterically.

Tom blushed, "Not THAT snake!"

That only made them laugh harder.

"Let's go out back and you can show me your snake!" Todd literally fell over laughing. They were beginning to attract a lot of attention. Particularly from a certain individual wearing dark sunglasses and a frown.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cyclops fairly barked at them. The laughter instantly stopped.

"I was offering food and clothing to the enemy, _Mein Kommandant_." Thomas gave a mock salute, "Will you have me shot at dawn, _Herr Summers_?"

That started Todd and Ray giggling despite themselves.

Cyclops turned an odd shade of red. "Why _me_?" He asked aloud, "Why do I always get stuck with the comedians?"

"Because you have no sense of humor. It's called Karma. . ."

Scott Summers left the mall with a struggling Thomas Salmons slung over his shoulder while simultaneously dragging Ray Crisp by the scruff of his jacket.

...

Back at the mansion

"Exiled to The Russian Front!" Thomas shook his head reproachfully.

"And less than a week after getting here!" Ray grinned, "This is gonna be fun. Me, you and Bobby, we could rule the world!"

Ray had a reputation as a troublemaker, and Bobby as a prankster. Now Tom seemed to be on his way to similar infamy.

"The look on Scott's face!" Ray continued, "I thought his head would explode!"

There was a loud knock at the door to the room the two shared. Ray opened it to see Jubilee standing there, holding a package. "This came for you."

"For me?" Ray eyed it suspiciously, "Is this some kind of practical joke."

"Whoa, an international mystery package. Express Air from Luxor, Egypt."

"Huh?"

"Thank you Jubilee." Thomas took the package, but Jubilee stayed put, waiting for the punchline. Thomas cut open the package and removed the packing, then pulled out a small, shiny black stone sphinx. "Since you liked mine, I thought I'd get you one." He handed the statuette to the taller youth.

"Y-You? I . . .?" Ray tried to compose himself. How much had this _cost_?

"I guess this means Ray's off the market?" Jubilee giggled.

"Why does everyone assume I'm gay?" Thomas asked, "I can't buy something for a friend without it being a romantic proposal?"

Jubilee whistled, "Looks like pure obsidian. Pretty fancy gift."

Both boys blushed deeply.

"You're the kind of girl who writes smutty boy-on-boy fan-fiction, aren't you?" Thomas shook his head as Jubilee walked away whistling _Here Comes The Bride_.

"Uh . . . Thanks . . . You really . . ." Ray set the statuette on his table, and turned to face Tom, "I mean, I like you as a friend and all, but . . . I'm _not_ gay."

Thomas rubbed his forehead and sighed, "Neither am I. I just wanted to be nice."

Ray ran a hand through his blond hair, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to . . . "

"It's okay. When you grow up with money around other people with money, you tend not to think about prices and gifts. It's a given. I knew you liked my sphinx, and I knew you probably won't be going to Egypt anytime soon, so I bought that for you."

Ray felt like a real jerk.

Thomas felt like an idiot.

Then it hit him.

_Uh-oh . . . _

"Uh, Ray, I think we better stop her before she tells your _girlfriend_."

"Oh God . . ."

The pair raced down the hall after Jubilee.

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Thomas is not gay. He's just awkward.

Who's Ray's girlfriend? Any girl he wants. He's just that _awesome_.


	4. Chapter 4

Snakehead

4

G-Team (Greatest Team, to its members) was made up of strong fighters; Berzerker, Wild Child, Spyke, Cannonball and the rather terrifying X-23.

Simple strength was not enough for G-Team, of course. While Broo was strong, he was not at all aggressive, preferring reason to brute force, and Kubark was in a class of his own. Ray had told Thomas that Kid Gladiator had pretty much destroyed half a planet in a temper tantrum, and that was why he'd been sent to the school in the first place, to learn self-control.

Fortunately, Thomas wasn't in G-Team.

Thomas was in C-Team. (Clowns, he assumed) The students there were talented, but not particularly physically strong or long on endurance, aside from himself there were Skin, Jamie, Bobby and Boom-Boom. Already acquainted with the mischievous ice-maker through Ray, Thomas quickly realized that his team had a flair for comedy. Angelo was the most mature and team leader, despite the wisecracks and laid-back attitude he was a young man who knew both his strengths and his limitations. Having been a gang-banger in his former life, he 'd learned the hard way how to fight before he gained the ability to stretch his skin like rubber. The others, however . . .

It had began when Boom-Boom caused an explosion beneath Bobby's feet. Bobby then proceeded to try to freeze her solid while Thomas, Angelo and a half-dozen Jamies distracted the holographic sentinel they were fighting. Unused to the ridiculous spandex uniform and unsure how to fight a human, much less a giant robot, Thomas could do little more than avoid its attacks and curse his errant teammates.

Skin wrapped his fingers around the sentinel and began climbing its back as Jamie distracted it, and, as soon as Thomas realized what he was doing, he joined the Multiple mutant, using his vocal projector to create amplified white noise to further confound the machine. As Skin slipped his nimble fingers into the thing and pulled out its vitals, everyone dove out of the way as the robot came down. Of course, it was only a hologram, but next time it might be real, which pissed him off even more.

The simulation ended with an unhappy Cyclops (was he ever happy?) walking into the Danger Room, "Angelo, Jamie, good job. You too, Thomas, but you can't hesitate like that in a real situation. Still, that with the sound was clever, and you gave it your best, unlike some." He glared at Bobby and Tabitha, "As for you two. If this had been real, you'd have gotten your teammates killed. I won't tolerate this foolishness. You two get to clean up all this ice, _before_ G-Team gets here. You know how Kyle and Ray feel about a cluttered Danger Room."

"It was her fault!"

"No way! It was your fault!"

Thomas almost felt sorry for Cyclops, no wonder he was so angry all the time. "I want this place spotless and dry. And if so much as a drop of water touches Ray, I'll let _him_ deal with you." He'd heard that Ray had a quick and sometimes violent temper, but he had yet to see him angry.

"Good job, T." Angelo smiled broadly and slapped Thomas on the back, "First time's always _loco_. Don't help when your teammates are more interested in poppin' each other than the enemy."

"I didn't know what to do." He replied honestly. His 'power' was essentially useless against a sentinel, "You can't poison a robot."

"Oh yeah? That white noise, _chico_. Screws with their sensors. If this wasn't alien tech, you'd have fried it."

"It just . . . Seemed like a good idea."

"Well it was. I'm glad you're in my posse."

After Angelo left, Thomas approached Cyclops, "Do you mind if I stay here and watch G-Team?"

"Okay, but it will be about an hour."

...

Thomas sat in the observation room, reading about The Brood on his tablet, ignoring the bickering and antics from Tabitha and Bobby. They were an interesting people, The Brood. Interesting, and utterly lethal. They enslaved or destroyed just about every race they encountered. Judging from what he'd learned from Broo and the school's computers, it seemed that they, quite rightly, believed all other races feared and hated them. They saw the universe in terms of predator and prey, without morality or higher purpose. The survival of their race was all that mattered to them, they couldn't afford ideals such as kindness or mercy. Their only method of reproduction and evolution was through parasitism, they had no other available options.

It was weird, thinking so casually toward aliens. He'd known of aliens, of course. Galactus, The Celestials, nobody on earth could have missed their respective arrivals. The Skrulls, Badoon, Kree and Brood had all attempted highly visible invasions of earth. Now he personally knew two extraterrestrials, Broo and Kubark, and seemed the most natural thing to talk with Broo, (he was still getting around to Kubark, Kid Gladiator was a pompous jerk). From a lonely rich kid to a student in a school filled with mutants, aliens and blue elves. Of course, he was also now a mutant himself, which meant that a large segment of humanity considered him at best a freak and at worst a demon to be burned at the stake. People tended to associate snakes with The Devil, as he first appeared in scripture in the body of a serpent. In fact, Thomas had seen an episode of _The X-Files_ in which a demonic priest, implied to be Satan himself, possessed a serpent for a tongue, just like his own. The 'serpent's tongue' was frequently used as a metaphor for lies, treachery and other such unpleasant qualities.

Yes, once his specific mutation became public, he'd be #1 on The Church of Humanity's hit list . . .

A loud boom caught his attention as Boom-Boom caused another small explosion. It was a pity he did not know how to operate The Danger Room simulator. He knew there was a 'Brood' program, and he'd have liked to have seen Bobby and Tabitha's reaction to the sudden appearance of a Brood Queen. Hell, he'd just like to see the simulation himself. Seeing something on a screen and seeing a life-sized replica was a vastly different experience.

Eventually the ice and water was cleaned out and the two trainees left The Danger Room, still arguing.

"Come ta' watch, eh?" Thomas turned to see Wolverine walk into the observation room.

"Yes sir." He might get away with disrespecting Scott, but he had no desire to get on Logan's bad side.

"I heard you did good in your simulation."

"I-I . . . Uh . . ."

Logan laughed, "I'm not gonna' eat ya, ya know."

"I really . . . Had no idea what I was doing . . ."

"When do any of us know exactly what we're doing?" He walked over to the simulator controls and began prepping the Danger Room, "All we can do is act and hope we're right."

Enter G-Team.

Berzerker, Cannonball, Spyke, Wild Child and X-23 entered The Danger Room.

Kyle Gibney was a small, wiry boy with wild blond hair and wicked nails on his hands and bare feet. Pointed teeth occasionally revealed themselves behind his thin lips, these traits, combined with his crouching posture, glittering emerald eyes and pointed ears gave the impression of a wolf-boy. This, along with his fighting style, well justified his code-name Wild Child. His approach to combat was simple, jump it and shred it.

Ray fought more of a ranged attack, though he was a hell of a hand-to-hand fighter, he preferred to use his electrical abilities to blast the enemy to scrap. In The Danger Room, he didn't have to hold back, and his abilities were terrifying. Thomas was actually reminded of a young Thor at times.

Sam's powers were equally devastating, he simply slammed into any obstacle with the force of a small meteor. For a soft-spoken, lanky country boy from Kentucky, he could really do some damage.

X-23 was like a miniature Wolverine, complete with adamantium claws, healing factor and berserker rage. This was one girl you didn't want to get on the bad side of.

Spyke grew bones at will, thick, sharp bones that could be used as armor, thrown or even fired at his enemies. These bones didn't shatter when they hit something, they sliced right through the illusory metal of the sentinels. Any ideas of nepotism due to his being Storm's nephew quickly faded as his skill became apparent to the observer.

Together they faced a host of multi-armed sentinels and soon reduced them to smoking heaps of twisted metal.

"How do they keep from destroying The Danger Room?" Thomas asked.

"Alien materials, nearly indestructible. We also have some actual robotic tools, giant tentacles, traps . . ."

"What happens if someone gets trapped in The Danger Room?"

"That won't happen. We have fail-safes in place, along with escape routes in case of a serious glitch." Logan began working on the console, "Now for round 2."

"Round 2?"

The holographic sentinels had vanished, and the group turned to leave as several massive creatures materialized in the room.

_Brood_.

Eight feet long, on average. Hard, chitinous exoskeletons. Four legs and two long whipping tentacles, with twin stingers writhing from their abdomens and massive, diamond-shaped, dagger-mawed heads with cold red eyes glaring at the teens. A few had functional, dragonfly-like wings.

Snakehead's jaw dropped, this was what an adult Brood looked like in person. Tiny, gentle Broo would eventually look like this . . . He recognized them by caste. Wingless drones and winged warriors.

Laura and Kyle didn't wait, they jumped on the aliens, ripping and slashing. X-23's adamantium claws did far more damage than Kyle's relatively puny talons, but Wild Child seemed to know the soft spots in their armor, and drew his fair share of blue blood. Cannonball thundered into one flying warrior, smashing it as effectively as a windshield smashing an ordinary insect. Ray fried the other flyer while Spyke covered himself in bony armor, horns and blades and slashed through the Brood that were left. It was a hard fight, and Thomas quickly forgot it was only a simulation, it looked as if his friends were fighting for their lives. Kyle was roughly bashed against the floor and wall, Spyke was pounded by thick tentacles and sharp teeth, and he could have sworn X-23 was actually slashed by those massive talons.

A stray drone zeroed in on Ray, who suddenly began to radiate a near blinding light. Surrounded by an crackling electrical aura, he looked for all the world like a Saiyan from _Dragonball Z_, gathering his _Chi _and evolving into something infinitely more powerful. The drone hit the aura at full speed, and was incinerated.

An unearthly screech shook the Danger Room as a Brood twice the size of the others appeared. _The Queen_. For a moment Thomas' awe was transferred from Ray to the magnificent being conjured by The Danger Room's holographic simulations. But not for long. A veritable tsunami of lethal electrical energy blasted her head from her shoulders. The massive body, along with all of the other dead Brood, vanished.

Thomas was speechless. On the one hand, he was in awe of the team's power. Of Ray's power. On the other hand, he was shocked that Xavier would actually train his students to _kill_.

As Ray turned he saw that the boy's eyes glowed a bright electric blue-white. This was _The Berzerker_, the one other students feared.

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Skin – Angelo Espinosa

Wild Child – Kyle Gibney

X-23 - Laura Kinney

Spyke - Evan Daniels

The _X-Files_ episode with the snake-tongued preacher was '_Signs and Wonders_'. The character's name was Samuel Mackey (or that's what he calls himself), and he eats a live mouse with his snake tongue at the end.

I know Bobby's on the main team (Alpha Team?) But this is my story, which I write as I will.


	5. Chapter 5

Snakehead

5

"And then he realized that he was in the _girl's_ bathroom!"

Ray and Thomas laughed as Bobby recounted the misadventures of Kurt Wagner. "And then there was the time he teleported out of his costume . . ."

Thomas' cell phone rang. "It's Rick. I better take it."

Ray looked up, "Rick? Your brother?"

"Yeah." He picked up his phone, "Hey, Rick."

"Hey Tom."

"I notice you don't call me 'Tommy' anymore. I guess that having your girlfriend and your brother sharing the same name would be a bit confusing."

Richard laughed, "So, how's life at Xavier's?"

"I'm surrounded by mutants and aliens. It's a lot like any other private school, except for the combat training."

"Combat training? _You_?" Richard Salmons knew his brother was probably miserable. He couldn't even throw a punch properly. "Still tucking your thumb under your fingers when you make a fist?"

"No. I'd rather not have any more broken bones, thank you very much. Unfortunately, I _do_ have to learn to protect myself. The world's a dangerous place, especially for a mutant."

"I know. I've learned a lot from Tommy." And he had, Morlocks knew better than most the suffering and isolation of being a mutant in a world full of hatred and bigotry. Things weren't much better for people who loved mutants, either. He'd been spit on more than once by people who disapproved of his relationship with Tommy.

"Oh, yeah. Tell Tommy that my roommate is an old friend of hers. His name's Ray, but they call him Berzerker."

"Will do. How do you two get along?"

"Great. He's pretty cool. Can you imagine, me hanging with the 'cool' kids?"

Richard laughed.

"Here that, Ray? We're the cool kids!" Bobby elbowed Ray, who responded with an irritated glare.

"How's dad?"

"Pretty much the same. He doesn't recognize me with my mask on." Hellfire Club guards wore white masks with their uniforms, part of the carnival air of the club. Most members where just rich, ordinary people looking to enjoy themselves. Few realized that The Hellfire Club was anything but a decadent country club. Even fewer realized that The Inner Circle was made up of ambitious, politically powerful mutants (and one human cyborg) who were seeking absolute power from the shadows. "Say, do they have a visiting policy?"

"I think so. You'd have to talk to Professor Xavier. I don't know what The Club would think, though."

"I don't think they mind. Miss. Frost's a telepath, and my phone's been bugged since the day I came to work here. They know what I'm going to do before I do, so they know I'm not about to betray them, not that I know of anything that could be useful." He paused, "I'll try to visit you as soon as possible, but my schedule's crazy. You never know with The Hellfire Club. I could be in Switzerland or Brazil or something tomorrow."

The Hellfire Club members had a bad habit of popping off on vacations and business transactions, taking their guards with them. Sebastian Shaw might call a few guards to accompany him to Japan (word was he had a mistress), or Britain, to visit The Inner Circle there, Pierce had homes in New York, The Alps and Australia. Probably more. Richard could be sent anywhere with any one of the jet-setting nuts in charge of The Hellfire Club.

Thomas walked to the window and looked out over the driveway and lawn, then nearly dropped the phone in horror, "Oh my God! Herman's on _fire_!"

Glob Herman was running about the yard, his translucent body completely ablaze.

"He does that some times." Ray walked leisurely over to the window, "Sets himself on fire just to make a scene. Doesn't hurt him at all." He grinned, "You should see him rip off chunks of -"

"I don't want to know!" He shuddered and turned away. Glob Herman still grossed Thomas out, he could handle a lot of things, but a boy with visible internal organs who could rip off chunks of his own body . . .

"Tommy? What's wrong?" Rick asked, "Is something the matter?"

"N-no, it's all right, Rick. Just a weird kid showing off . . ." He smiled, "You called me 'Tommy'."

Ray turned, his face pale, "Hey, Bobby, take a look! Glob just set _Storm's_ roses on fire!"

As Bobby rushed to the window, Tom hissed in frustration, "I was wrong, Rick. I think we're about to have a _murder_ on our hands."

...

To be continued . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Snakehead

6

Surprisingly, there was no Glob-icidal rampage, though Storm was practically shooting lightning out of her butt at the sight of her burned roses. Perhaps Glob's good friend Quintavius Quire influenced her in that regard. From what was known of him, Quentin was probably a more powerful telepath than Professor Xavier himself. Quire seemed to take a perverse delight in manipulating others, just another reason not to trust the little prick.

The small group was gathered around a video game console, shooting the breeze while waiting their turns. Thomas was far more interested in talking about The Brood with Broo than playing video games. It amazed Ray how Thomas could be such a cool anti-authority rebel one minute and a geeky fanboy the next.

"I wonder if I have some great weakness due to my mutation." Tom remarked, "I don't carry _Salmonella_, thank God . . . I've never been much of a swimmer, so I don't know how my new respiratory system would adjust to being submerged in water."

"Most snakes are excellent swimmers." Broo said, "Perhaps your new breathing tubules will alow you to hold your breath much longer than the average human."

"Maybe." He cracked his knuckles, "Broo, do you have wings?"

"Why, yes. They are only partially developed and very small, but I believe they will become fully functional as I grow toward adulthood."

"And stingers?"

"Yes. Again, they're not fully developed."

"What caste do you belong to? You're obviously not a queen . . . Right?" For all anyone (on earth at least) knew Brood could change gender at will.

"I am a winged drone. The Brood are strictly matriarchal, so males rarely rise above the level of drones. There are exceptions, however. The Empress has a special group of elite male warriors, The Firstborn, who are even more powerful than the queens."

Thomas had seen a holographic depiction of The Brood Empress, supreme ruler of The Brood race. She strongly resembled a queen Xenomorph, albeit much larger, with bat-like wings, an enlarged cranium, two long, spiraling horns on her head and a few other fascinating details.

"Why don't you have tentacles instead of arms like most Brood?"

"That is a very good question. Perhaps it was due to my being removed from my host before fully developing, or it may be part of my mutation."

"C'mon Roberto, your time's up." Ray growled impatiently.

"Hold on. I'm almost done." Roberto replied.

Roberto knew that patience was not one of Ray's virtues. If it had been anyone else, he'd have stalled, or even blew them off. You didn't tell Berzerker to go jump in a lake, not unless you liked getting tazed. He quickly saved his score and moved aside.

"Finally!" Ray sat cross-legged on the floor and logged in to his game. He had to stay calm, regardless of the outcome, if he lost his temper while playing he'd destroy an expensive gaming system, without any real intention of doing so. Then he'd have to pay for it. Not with money, 'cause Ray didn't have any money of his own, just a small allowance from the school, but with hard, boring work. And a lot of it.

"Why do we only have one game console?" Thomas asked.

"We have several. But with so many students at the school, we might as well only have one. It's supposed to teach us patience or something." Ray said without taking his eyes from the screen, "Do you play any games?"

"Well, I played _Kingdom Hearts_, once, but I . . . I felt sorry for Demyx and just couldn't bring myself to . . ."

Ray chuckled, "God, you're pathetic. You deliberately lost a video game because you felt sorry for your fictional enemy? Why did you even bother to play?"

"Yes. I gave up." Thomas often wished that his vocal projector could exhibit his emotions better, "Rick said the same thing. And I'll give you the same answer I gave him. _Shut up or I'll kick your teeth in_."

Broo gasped in horror.

"What did you say?" Ray's blue eyes were beginning to glow ominously.

"You heard me, Ray. _Shut_. _Up_."

Ray smiled, "That's more like it. I'd hate to get killed because you have some kind of hang-up about beating down guys with mullets." Not many people were brave enough or stupid enough to threaten him like that. At least he had some fight in him.

"I prefer to pick my own fights, not have them laid out for me by some programmer. I'm not going to kill a character I like just to win a game. _Nobody_ makes me do what I don't want to." He explained, "That's why don't play many video games. I thought about playing D&amp;D Online once, but I couldn't play a troll and I didn't like all the killing."

Ray smirked, "I don't know much about Dungeons and Dragons, but aren't trolls _supposed_ to be vicious killers?"

"So are Drow, but everybody and their brother is playing a 'good' Drow."

"I wouldn't know anything about that." Ray said, "Not my area of interest."

"It's illogical to have trolls as player characters. They regenerate wounds instantly, can re-grow severed limbs, survive decapitation . . . It wouldn't really be fair to the people playing humans or halflings or other weaker races. Plus, they're not exactly known for their intelligence. However, I do agree with you on the violence." Broo chimed in.

"See, in the tabletop game my troll had been magically modified, he was smarter but didn't have as much regenerative power . . ."

Ray tuned them out. He wasn't really into fantasy stories, much less fantasy games. Real life was interesting, (and terrifying), enough. He did, in fact, know a 'dragon' personally, Scaleface. But since they'd broken up she tended to react badly to his presence. She'd been upset he decided to leave for the surface and Xavier's school, she'd called him an idiot, he'd gotten mad, they'd argued . . . It hadn't been pretty. Just another in a long line of what-could-have-beens that littered his life, the corpses of dead dreams and decaying possibilities. Sports scholarships? No one would allow a mutant on a sports team, it would be unfair. Like the trolls Broo had mentioned. Even if your powers had nothing to do with how hard you could hit a ball or hit a linebacker, they'd say you were cheating. Like when they said Evan used 'his powers' to win that skateboarding tournament. It was total crap, but no was willing to give him the chance to explain. Academics? A smart mutant would be smart _because_ he was a mutant, not because he actually studied and did his work.

Xavier said that one day humanity would accept mutants, just as they had learned to accept people of different races. Problem was, a lot of humans were _still_ racists. Hate was part of the human (and mutant) condition, it couldn't be reasoned away or bred out. It was up there with death and taxes, inevitable. There would always be someone filled with hate. It was a form of insanity, at least in his mind. But Xavier's path seemed more rational than Magneto's, if some people don't like you, don't intentionally do bad things to make even more of them hate you. He couldn't help being a mutant, and he was proud of it, but he was _not_ a terrorist. If you want to be accepted, you don't attack people who are still sitting on the fence.

...

"You attacked one of your _own_ party?" Broo asked incredulously.

"That snotty little tree-humper had it coming. The only thing worse than a High Elf is a High Elf _Paladin_." He shrugged, "The others disagreed, of course, and they kicked me out."

"What was your alignment?"

"Chaotic Neutral. Like I said, I don't like being told what to do."

"You must hate The Danger Room."

"It's a necessary evil. I _have_ to learn to fight. To survive."

"Don't we all." Broo paused thoughtfully, "If you wanted to play a troll, why didn't you just play _World of Warcraft_? You could play a troll and eviscerate obnoxious elves to your heart's content."

"I . . ." He blushed, "I never thought of that."

...

That night, as the boys prepared for bed, Ray looked over at Thomas.

"I just don't understand you." He said quietly. The remark was not meant to be hurtful, he was honestly confused by Thomas' behavior. He was too kind to 'kill' a fictional character in a video game, but quite willing to insult and threaten his teammates, and even his friends. True, they were probably empty threats, but it was dangerous to write checks his butt couldn't cash.

"That's okay, I don't understand me either."

"Just be careful. If you insult the wrong person, you could end up getting the Hell beaten our of you."

"It's bound to happen one day." Thomas agreed, before removing his vocal projector and crawling into bed and drifting off to sleep.

To be continued . . .

I don't think I could 'kill' Demyx either.


	7. Chapter 7

Snakehead

7

It had started off as such a nice day. The sky was blue. The birds were singing. All of those cheesy clichés.

The kids were playing baseball. Ray accused Roberto of cheating with his powers. Roberto _was_ cheating, but that quickly proved beside the point.

"Yo, Tom." Thomas Salmons turned to see a familiar green-skinned mutant beneath the bleachers, looking up. "C'mere."

Thomas quietly slipped away from the small group of students to talk with 'the enemy'. Todd was wearing a green and black jumpsuit instead of his usual filthy rags. "Hey, Todd. What are you doing here?"

"Nuthin' much. Just hangin'. Uh-oh!" His eyes widened as a purple-haired youth wearing a t-shirt proclaiming '_Send more Sentinels'_ walked over to the pair, "Quire?"

"I thought I smelled flies." Quentin said dismissively, "You really need to improve your hygiene."

"Nobody invited you, yo."

"That's funny, you're the one who's not supposed to be here."

"Quentin, what are you doing? Can't I have a peaceful talk with Todd here?"

"I don't give a crap, you can make out for all I care." He paused, "But not within view, I'd prefer to keep my lunch."

Thomas hissed loudly and unhinged his jaw, the serpent inside hovered threateningly in the young telepath's direction.

"Oh, snap, Dawg!" Toad exclaimed, hopping around to get a better view, "That's awesome."

"Oh, please. You know you'd never use that thing."

"His name's 'Junior'."

"I could take control of him and make him bite you." Quentin yawned. "It's just too much trouble to bother."

"Yo, Dawg, look at this!" Todd was hanging from a high branch nearby by a long, sticky green tongue.

"Nobody's impressed, Toad. As a mutation you're pretty pathetic." Quentin examined his nails.

"That was uncalled for!" Thomas practically barked through his vocal projector. "Anybody ever tell you you're an arrogant prick?"

Ignoring him, Quentin did something odd, he stuck out his foot. A silvery-blue blur met his foot and tumbled several hundred feet. "Thomas, meet Pietro Maximoff, son of Magneto and member of The Brotherhood, who have just launched an attack on us. Not that _you_ noticed."

The silver-clad, white haired youth got up, rubbing his head. By now all eyes were on the four boys.

The ground began to shake violently. "And here comes Avalanche, or Blob, either one can cause earthquakes, Blob's so fat . . ."

"Don't insult my friends, creep." Toad launched himself at Quentin, only to be suspended in mid-air by Quire's telekinesis, "Hey! Lemme' down!"

A mountainous youth with blond hair rushed Quire, only to be easily blocked, "I can take all these losers alone. Right, Freddy?"

Blob just grunted in helpless rage.

"You can't control everything. Like magic, for instance." A girl dressed in red goth clothing held up her hands and an odd-colored energy struck Quentin, knocking him over and sending Toad and Blob to the ground as well.

The others were rushing towards them now, all ready to fight.

"Well, well, if it isn't The Wicked Witch of Bayville, Wanda Maximoff, daughter of Magneto and first-class head-case." Quentin was actually in some pain, but he'd never show it.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Toad screamed and jumped the prone telepath, only to connect with the attacking Quicksilver and fall into a tangled heap.

"God, this is too easy." Quentin laughed, and evaded a second Hex-Blast from Wanda.

"It might be best if you guys leave. You're outnumbered ten to one, and we have a musclebound idiot who can blow up planets." Thomas was getting concerned, What the Hell was going on?

"Kid Gladiator is no idiot, weakling human!" Kubark realized Snakehead was referring to him.

"The point is there's no need to fight and you can't win."

"Maybe." A tall, slender, handsome boy with medium-length brown hair appeared. He was wearing a semi-transparent helmet. "Maybe not."

"So, the great Avalanche honors us with his presence." Quentin gave a mock bow.

"Okay. There's no need for a fight -" Thomas said, even as the battle began. He had no non-lethal abilities and The Brotherhood was already facing almost certain defeat. They could fight well, but there were just too many of Xavier's students, not to mention Cyclops. Logan was hanging back, this wasn't a situation that called for lethal force. Thomas also withdrew, not wanting to get involved.

Kurt and Todd were wrestling and teleporting all over the place, Pietro was running around landing blows where he could, Wanda seemed to be firing pretty much at random, Blob was trying to push Kubark back, and failing terribly, and Avalanche appeared to be hitting on Shadowcat. Fortunately for them, Quentin was already bored and decided to just sit back and watch.

When Kurt and Todd happened to teleport within reach, Thomas grabbed the green-skinned youth by the collar and pulled him away from Nightcrawler. "What the Hell is this about?"

"Mystique sent us. Training, yo. We don't have a Danger Room, just a crazy shape-shiftin' blue monster chick and you guys." Todd squirmed his way free.

"School of Hard Knocks', tuition: blood and bruises." Thomas shook his head, "There's no reason - "

"You don' understand! You been a mutant what, a _month_? You have no idea what it's like, what we have ta do ta survive!"

"You don't win hearts and minds by throwing back the same hate you've been hit with."

"Hearts an' minds?" Todd laughed, "You sound like a politician. They've made up their minds, they _hate_ us. Humanity wants to destroy us!"

"So you'll destroy them first?"

"No. We'll make 'em fear us."

"Fear makes people far more dangerous than hatred. A scared person is a lot more terrifying than a heartless psycho." Thomas asserted.

"Maybe, but it's better than sitting around waiting for them to kill us. Look at Gandhi, King, Jesus. They all preached non-violence. And what did they get for it? They all got murdered!"

That was true. Men of peace often died violently. But it was better, at least in Thomas' eyes, than being the murderer. He shook his head, "Why did you want to talk to me?" It seemed almost comical that two fighters on opposite sides would be having a philosophical discussion in the middle of a battle, but, such was war.

Apparently.

"You seemed like a nice guy. I didn't want you messed up."

Todd was protecting him? Thomas was shocked by such an open admission, "We're _not_ enemies, Todd. Your leader and my leader disagree. Isn't there room somewhere for compromise? They both want the same thing."

Suddenly Summers was beside them, clearing his throat, "Battle's over. We won. Are you going to surrender, Toad, or do we do this the hard way?"

They looked around. Sure enough, The Brotherhood was in full retreat. X-Students were everywhere, most of them angry.

"Hardly a positive recruitment message. You really need to study the art of propaganda, _Herr_ Summers." Thomas smiled sadly, "Hearts and Minds, bro, Hearts and Minds."

...

To be continued . . .


	8. Chapter 8

Snakehead

8

Thomas' mind was racing. Todd's capture was his fault, after all. There was no way for Todd to escape, they were surrounded. There had to be a way out of–

"You can't take him anywhere." He said.

"What?"

"You can't take him anywhere, Summers." His metallic voice was somehow grave, "That's _kidnapping_. A Federal offense. And I'm sure the Feds are just looking for an excuse to shut down the school."

"Not if I take him to juvenile hall." Summer's retorted angrily. He could feel another headache coming on, and it was a beauty.

"On what charges? A fist fight with Kurt?"

"He's right, you know." Quentin chimed in, a look of smug satisfaction on his handsome face, "You've been outwitted, Summers. Hardly a rare occurrence, but always entertaining."

Scott Summers turned so red it looked as if his head would explode. "Shut it, Quire!"

"They're right." Logan walked over, "We gotta' let him go." He glared at Todd, who shrunk back a bit, "Get outta here."

"Thanks, Dawg. I won't forget this." Toad whispered to Thomas before bounding away.

"Neither will I." Cyclops muttered. Thomas couldn't see Scott's eyes, but he felt his glare burning through him.

...

As they walked back to the bus Ray turned to his roommate, "Are you crazy? Scott's gonna' kill you!"

"Maybe. But that doesn't make him right."

"You weren't kidding about not letting anyone tell you what to do!"

"Nope."

Ray shook his head, "Man, you've got some balls!"

"And Summer's is gonna' bust 'em." Bobby grinned.

"You may not live to see it, Drake." Thomas said coldly. Something in his tone made Bobby's smile fade away.

"Help your enemies and beat up your friends? What kind of logic is that?" Anole asked.

"My own." Thomas didn't recognize the boy. "Who are you again?"

"Anole." The green-scaled boy answered.

"Oh, yeah, now I remember. You're the ga- I mean . . ."

"Gay kid?" Anole offered. "You can say it."

"Doesn't matter to me. Cross me and I'll hit you as hard as anyone else."

"Boy, you _are_ in a mood." Ray observed. Thomas was beginning to sound like _him_.

"I'm sorry." Thomas shook his head, "What I meant was, I don't plan on treating you any different than anyone else." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, "God, what's wrong with me?"

"Relax. It's probably just stress. It's hard adjusting to life as a mutant."

Thomas was silent for the rest of the journey home, not knowing what he might say and afraid to find out.

...

The Brotherhood Headquarters.

"Oh, man, you shoulda' seen Summer's face!" Todd was practically in tears from laughter, "They made him look like a fool!"

"You're lucky the new kid's soft." Pietro stretched lazily on the battered couch, "We figured we'd have to break you out of juvie. _Again_."

"Lucky indeed," A new voice said as a tall, blue-skinned woman entered the living room of the run-down house The Brotherhood called home, "You were a fool, letting yourself get caught. I don't tolerate fools."

Toad shrunk away from Mystique, "I-I . . . "

"Why do I even bother?" The shapeshifter threw up her hands, "Why does Magneto see fit to punish me with looking after incompetent children? I know Cyclops is asking himself much the same thing. If any of you think you talk to me like that . . . You are sadly mistaken." She turned toward Avalanche, "I'm disappointed in all of you."

Lance blanched, "But you said -"

"Don't tell me what I said! You fools are about as subtle as a hurricane. I told you to fight the X-Men, not to take on the _entire_ school at once! Have you ever even heard of strategy?" She turned to Freddy, "Did you honestly think you could do _anything_ to Kid Gladiator? And you," She turned to Wanda, who was doing her best to ignore her, "When you hit them, hit them hard! You should have taken out Quire with your first Hex-Bolt! And you most of all, _Toad_. You're too soft."

"I'm not soft!" Todd tried for a defiant tone but ended up squeaking like a mouse.

"Oh, then tell me . . ." She took Todd's face in her cold, slender blue hand. His eyes widened like saucers, "Why did you reveal yourself to Snakehead before the team could attack?" She released him and walked across the room. Her demeanor changed to one of almost pleasure, "Of course, we could always use that . . . _familiarity_ to our advantage. Who knows what he could be convinced to do?" Lost in thought Mystique left the room.

Magneto might find this interesting.

...

Professor Xavier's office,

"I couldn't just let him take Todd . . ."

Professor Xavier considered his young charge thoughtfully, "I understand where you're coming from. I am well aware that the members of The Brotherhood are not evil monsters, they are simply . . . _Mislead_. Vulnerable children who've been used by Magneto and Mystique to carry on their personal agendas. And, believe me, we _have_ tried to help them. We even invited them to join our school, and they accepted, briefly. Sadly, some of our students could not see beyond their criminal pasts and made them feel unwelcome, either subtly or directly. They were basically driven away, and, regrettably it was the fault of some of my own pupils. My heart goes out to them, but if they attack us, we have to defend ourselves." He paused, "Right now, I'm more concerned with you. Your habit of threatening your teammates when you disagree with their methods or they anger you, is disturbing. I know that you have neither the intention nor the abilities to carry out most of those threats, but it still creates rifts with some of our more sensitive members."

Thomas had little to say in his defense. Xavier could see that his problem, in part, was insecurity, he felt guilty about his wealth and weak because his powers were not as spectacular or obviously useful as those of others. Then there was the issue of his mother's untimely death, unresolved resentment and anger towards his father for perceived abandonment, frustration as he so suddenly found himself both a mutant and a mute. He was kind-hearted, but that sentiment could easily be used against him. Mystique was a mistress of manipulation. Regardless of any kind of friendship or trust he might be able to set up with Todd or any other member of the Brotherhood, she could use it to her advantage, in fact neither party would likely be aware they were being manipulated until it was too late.

"There is also the fact that you and Quentin undermined Scott's authority before the entire student body." He continued, "You were right, legally speaking, but if our instructors lose the respect of our pupils, then we will have far more insubordination, perhaps even anarchy. While Quentin's remarks were far more inflammatory, you also bear some responsibility." He sighed loudly, "You may not believe it, but you are an important part of our . . . family. You have skills and abilities that can help us, not to mention your intelligence and wit. You also have friends, Ray, Broo, Angelo, Bobby, Kyle . . . People who care about you. We all care about what happens to you, even Scott."

"Oh, by the way, Dr. Sugarman has created an anti-venom for your bite. Do not take this as a licence to be reckless, however."

"Of course not, professor."

...

To Thomas' surprise Ray was waiting outside the office. "Are you alright?"

"I'm . . . I don't know. I don't even know Anole and I threatened him. The Professor says that I'm frustrated over everything that's happened. I guess I need to learn how to control my temper." he shook his head, "You know, Todd was right. I've only been a mutant for a few weeks. I don't know anything about what it means to be a mutant, and I'm already cracking."

"You're handling it better than a lot of other people. When my parents threw me out, I just started blasting stuff, transformers, mail boxes, part of a junkyard . . ."

"Not cows I hope."

Ray laughed, "I remember that episode of _The X-Files_. Giovanni Ribisi was really screwed up in that one. No, I didn't make any fried hamburgers . . ."

"Come to think of it, he did use his power to restart a guy's heart, after giving him a heart attack. You might be able to do that, I mean, be a human defibrillator, not give people heart attacks."

"I'm good, but I'm not that good. I don't have that kind of control."

"Maybe someday you will . . . Do you remember," He asked as they walked down the hall, "The episode with the snakes?"

"Snakes?"

"Yes, with the snake-handling preacher and the evil preacher who was using snakes to kill people?"

"Oh, the one where the chick gave birth to a bunch of snakes?"

"Yes. The evil preacher, the one who was supposed to be a demon . . ."

Ray's eyes widened, "He had a . . . _Snake for a tongue._" He shook his head, "That was just a TV show. It doesn't mean anything. . ."

"That old idiot Stryker would probably disagree with you. To him, we're all demons." He smiled thinly, "But I don't care what he thinks. I'm no angel, but no demon either." He shrugged, "It doesn't matter right now. I have to apologize to some people . . ."

...

To be continued . . .

Notes-

Anole - Victor Borkowski

The episode of _The X-Files_ referenced here is _D_._P_._O_., it's about a troubled boy (Darin Peter Oswald) played by Giovanni Ribisi, who can call lightning and use it as a weapon. He does fry a few cows in the episode.

Once again, the episode with the snakes was _Signs and Wonders._


	9. Chapter 9

Snakehead

9

The moment Thomas Salmons opened his eyes he knew that his world had changed forever. _Again_.

He lay there for a moment, looking at Ray sleeping peacefully in the nearby bed. He could clearly see the other boy. The fact that it was a dark night and the curtains were drawn was his first clue that something had changed. He could see the heat radiating from Ray's body contrasted against the cooler air of the room.

He opened his mouth but no sound came. He wasn't wearing the vocal projector and sign language was useless in the dark. Unless you could see in the dark, an ability he swiftly realized that he possessed in some measure. Thomas' shaking hand reached for the vocal projector, his hand brushing against the cold stone of the sphinx statuette on his small table. He found the projector and swiftly snapped it into place around his throat.

But he still didn't say anything.

He sat up in bed for several minutes, wondering what would happen now. When the lights came on, would he be blinded? Would he see everyone around him through an infrared lens? Would he still be able to read? Printed pages gave off no heat. He was afraid to find out, but he knew that he would have to face it, and soon.

After what seemed an eternity he mustered the courage to speak. "Ray?"

Ray stirred in his sleep. "What?" He was still half asleep and his fingers fumbled for the lamp beside his bed.

"No! Don't turn on the lamp!" Fear was evident, even through his mechanical voice.

Ray shot up, weariness forgotten. "Why . . . What's happened?"

"Ray, can . . . Can you see me?"

"No." He paused for a moment, "Can _you_ see _me_?"

"Yes."

"Uh-oh." Ray rubbed his eyes, "How well can you see me?"

"Pretty clearly. But I can also see the heat around you."

"Let me try something." He said calmly, soothingly, "I'm going to make a few sparks. Tell me if it hurts."

Thomas watched as white sparks lept from Ray's right hand.

"I see it as white light. It doesn't hurt my eyes."

"Okay. That's good. Now, I'm gonna' turn on the lamp," Ray said softly, "Okay?"

"Y-yeah. I have to find out sooner or later."

"Okay." Ray reached up and flicked on the lamp. There was a slight blurring in Thomas' vision, then the world became clear.

"I can see fine." Thomas let out a hiss of relief, "I guess it only works in the dark."

"You had me worried there." Ray smiled broadly.

"I had me worried there." Thomas paled a little, "Do I look . . . The same?"

Ray chuckled lightly, "Yeah. You're still a skinny kid in his underwear."

Thomas gave a nervous smile.

Ray got up quickly, "We'll need to have Doc McCoy or Sugarman look at you right away." He walked over to the dresser and picked up his watch, "It's 4 AM now. I don't think they'll mind." He pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

Thomas began to dress as well, "I hope I can see as well in the sunlight."

Ray was fumbling around for his left sandal, "Me too." He found his sandal slightly under the bed and put them both on, "I'm sure you'll be okay. If there is a problem, I'm sure they can design sunglasses or something like they did with Scott. Nothin' to worry about." His voice was calm and reassuring. He knew several people who could see in the dark or in daylight just fine, like Callisto. He was still worried though, and said a silent prayer that his friend wouldn't lose his vision as he had his voice . . .

...

A short time and several tests later,

"Hmmmm . . ." Dr. McCoy moved the small, but bright, light from Thomas' right eye to his left and back, "It seems to me that your new abilities are automatic, much like blinking. When the lights go out, your infrared vision kicks in." He stroked his blue-furred chin, "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"That is a relief." Charles Xavier sat a few yards away with Ray. The boy was already insecure, if he suddenly developed even more prominent mutations, or, worse, lost his sight. He might not be able to deal with such trauma. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just . . . _Confused_. Is this normal? Spontaneous Mutations like this?"

"Occasionally. But I wouldn't worry too much about it." Dr. McCoy said, gently putting a hand on Thomas' shoulder. "Though you may want to get something to cover your eyes when you sleep."

"Ray, I'd like to talk to you for a moment." Xavier said softly to Ray.

"Did I do something wrong, Professor?"

"No. No, you handled this quite well. You kept Thomas calm and didn't panic. I'm proud of you. You've matured a great deal since first coming to this school. I'm certain that you'll make a fine X-Man."

"Thank you, sir. But that's what friends are supposed to do for each other, right?"

Xavier smiled, "Indeed."

...

To be continued . . .


	10. Chapter 10

Snakehead

10

Thomas had wondered if Scott would punish the entire team for his actions, but Scott respected Angelo far too much to do that. He was, however, clearly displeased with Thomas. He tried not to let it affect his professionalism, but Thomas noticed his holographic opponent was slightly more powerful than usual. He liked to think it meant that he was progressing in ability, but he doubted it.

As they rested from their Danger Room exercises, C-Team chatted among themselves. Since the encounter with The Brotherhood, something had been bothering Thomas.

"How do we deal with _magic_?"

"_Que_?" Angelo looked at Thomas, "Magic? Oh, thinking about _El Bruja Escarlata_?"

"_Si_." Thomas replied.

Angelo shrugged his thin shoulders, "I don't think Wanda really tries to beat us. Her heart's not in it, I guess. She's just tryin' to make her old man happy and keep that _arpia_ off her back."

"There are more powerful things out there. If we had to face a Wendigo, we'd be dead."

Skin scratched his pointed chin, "I honestly don't know. We've never had that happen, not while I've been here, anyway. Wolverine has fought Wendigo before and survived, but other things . . . We'd probably have ta' call Doctor Strange or Shaman or somebody like that."

As a guard within The Hellfire Club, Richard Salmons had overheard a great deal of occult conversations. References to such powerful and evil entities as _Varnae_, First and Lord of all Vampires, _Set_, Demonic God of Serpents and the powerful sorceress _Marie LaVeau_. And then there was that soul-sucking whore, _Selene_. Marcus Salmons, being a member of the club proper, once mentioned that some fellow members were actual magic users or supernatural entities, most notably Friedrich Von Roehm, whom he stated was a werewolf. This he had heard from Donald Pierce, and Thomas had begun to take anything Pierce had said with a grain of salt considering his relationship with The Reavers. Of course, all of this information had filtered down to Thomas, who found it more than a little disturbing. He genuinely feared for his father and brother, The Hellfire Club was a place without law or morality, filled with the most decadent and disgusting dregs of high society . . .

"Too bad we don't have some sort of anti-magic devices, kind of like a _Ring of Protection from Evil_ that deflects magic."

"Isn't an anti-magic magical ring a contradiction in terms?" Tabitha asked, "Besides, it's not like we deal with that kind of thing."

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Thomas said, "We need to be ready for anything."

"True, but some things we just can't handle. We have to accept our limitations."

"I hope that someday I can meet The Living Mummy." Thomas said off-hand.

"Ever hear the story of Bessie The Hellcow?" Jamie asked, "See, in the 1600's Count Dracula was really hungry, but the all the houses he went to were locked down tight. And _nobodies'_ gonna' invite Dracula in for a bite. So he came across a cow named Bessie, and -"

Thomas' cell phone rang. He smiled as he answered it. "Hey, guys. Rick's coming to visit!"

A few minutes later,

"And The Hellcow still stalks the night to this very day, searching for Dracula to take her revenge! Moohaahaa!"

...

The next day,

All eyes were on the young couple as they emerged from the dark blue sedan. The man was handsome, of average height with reddish-brown hair, dressed in a suit and tie. Almost all of the attention, however, was on his female companion. She was of moderate height, thin and almost ethereal in beauty. Her body looked like stained glass, her skin and hair lit by radiant strips of soft colors. She was, in short, a walking rainbow.

Richard Salmons smiled as his brother walked toward him. He looked healthy, and he was walking with a tall, handsome, well-built youth with an orange sunrise styled into his short blond hair. "Rick. Tommy." Thomas hugged his brother as Ray greeted Tommy. They did indeed know each other from their shared experiences as Morlocks. "Rick, this is my friend Ray." "It's nice to meet you, any friend of Thomas is a friend of mine." The pair shook hands and exchanged greetings, before the four of them headed into the school.

"You've done well for yourself, Ray." Tommy's voice was almost as beautiful as she was.

"So have you, Tommy. We've come a long way." Ray looked around at the lavish foyer, who'd have thought a penniless gutter-punk like him would be living in a _mansion_?

"I want you to meet some of my friends." Thomas said. He nodded to an odd-looking insectoid creature, "This is Broo."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Salmons." Broo smiled with his fanged maw, "Thomas has told me a great deal about you. And you must be Miss Tommy. Greetings, all."

Richard took the small creature's clawed hand, as did Tommy. "And a pleasure to meet you as well."

A thin, gray-skinned youth with a scruffy goatee smiled broadly and extended his hand in welcome, "Angelo Espinosa. _Como estas_?"

Richard returned the smile, "_Muy beuno, gracias. Y tu_?"

"It's all good."

A small, wiry blond boy with an oddly animalistic grace extended a clawed hand, "Kyle." He said simply.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

And so it went; Bobby, Jamie, Victor . . . Richard had no idea his introverted brother had so many friends. He'd had no real friends before. Of course, he hadn't really known anyone before, between private tutors and private schools he didn't get out much. And when he did, he usually kept to himself. He did play D&amp;D for a time but that had ended unpleasantly due to his poor social skills. Maybe this Xavier thing was for the best after all.

...

Elsewhere,

"I'm just not sure about having a Hellfire Club mercenary touring the school."

"Me either." For once, Scott and Logan agreed on something, to an extent.

"If he were up to something nefarious Quentin, Jean or myself would have known by now. His only interest is to visit his brother, and we can't deny him that, can we?" Xavier reasoned. "Besides, _we_ may learn something useful."

...

The Greenhouse,

"Richard's very kind to me," Tommy and Ray were walking in the greenhouse, "We intend to get married in June." She stopped to admire some of Storm's bromeliads. "These are very pretty."

" Storm loves her plants." Ray observed, "She spends hours in here, communing with nature." He smiled, "Thomas is a lot like Richard, from what you've told me. He's a great guy. You'd expect a rich kid to be stuck up, but he's actually pretty nice. I mean, he's stressed out, bein' new to his powers and all, but he's friendly, and he's tryin' hard. _Too_ hard, sometimes. Still, he's taking it a lot better than I did." He laughed, "Remember when I first joined The Morlocks? With all the trouble I caused I'm surprised Callisto didn't kick me out on my butt."

"How did she take it? Your leaving."

"She said I was a fool, but if I wanted to die, it was my choice to make."

"And Scaleface?"

Ray's face fell, "She didn't understand. Or maybe I just didn't understand her. Either way, we broke up."

"I'm sorry."

"It was my choice. I just couldn't live in the sewers, I need air and light and . . . _L__ife._ And I know you feel the same way."

Tommy nodded, "I was lucky I met Richard. You wouldn't think a mercenary would be so gentle, so kind."

"How did you two meet?" Ray couldn't believe he'd forgotten, but he'd seen so much in his young life everything tended to run together at times

"I was caught topside and attacked by anti-mutant creeps. Rick saw what was happening and stepped in. A big gun can go a long way in changing people's minds. When we saw each other, it was love at first sight."

"Will I be invited to the wedding?"

"You always were cheeky. Of course you're invited." Tommy laughed, "I was just thinking of when you grew that enormous Mohawk . . ."

Ray ran his fingers through his short blond hair, "Yeah. It kept gettin in the way, so I had to cut it."

"I think your hair looks much better now."

"I get that a lot. People just don' appreciate punk anymore . . ."

"Your _parents_ were children in the '80's."

"Some things never go out of style . . ."

...

Richard didn't have to ask which bed belonged to his brother, as it was neatly made with the pillows at the foot of the bed. Some things never change.

"You can see in the dark now?"

"Yes. It's weird, so many things have changed so quickly my mind doesn't seem able to keep up."

"Just hang in there. You'll figure it out. You've got a lot of friends to help you, and I'm just a phone call away."

"Thanks, Rick."

"Oh, Tom. I almost forgot." Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized black stone carved into the shape and style of an Egyptian scarab. "Another one for your collection."

"Thank you!" He looked at the bottom, which was designed similar to an ancient seal or stamp, a cartouche or _shenu_, as the Egyptians called it. "Very nice. I really need to learn how to read hieroglyphics. If I can, maybe I can dig up some dirt on Apocalypse . . ."

"If you can get Xavier to put a book shelf in your room, I'll send the rest of your collection."

"I think I'd like that."

"If you're ever in New York, come visit me in my apartment."

"Sure, but . . . Don't tell Pierce anything about me."

"So, you know about Pierce." Richard shook his head, "Don't worry, I won't tell him anything. He might come after all of us, me, Tommy, you, dad, _everyone_. Besides, I'm just a hired gun, he probably doesn't even know my name." He paused, as if considering something important. After a moment, he leaned in close and whispered, "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but Shaw Industries is funding the sentinel program."

Thomas' eyes widened, "But . . . Shaw's a _mutant_!"

"That's The Hellfire Club." Richard observed grimly, "When it comes to money, they're all in the same religion."

Thomas shook his head in disgust. Mutants funding sentinels, that was just wrong. "I don't like you having to deal with The Club, even if dad is a member. Those people are some of the most dangerous people in the world."

Richard shrugged, "I have to make a living somehow. Travel, adventure . . . It's not so bad. Besides, as long as I stay away from that soul-sucking vampire Selene, I should be okay."

"Be careful, Rick." Tom gave him another hug.

"You too, Thomas."

Thomas watched his brother and his girlfriend drive away from the steps of the mansion. He smiled, he knew he was lucky to have him.

To be continued . . .

...

Notes:

I'm sorry about Angelo's accent. I just can't get it down, I'm a white guy from the South trying to fake a Latino accent. I try to ignore accents when I can, but with Toad and Skin it's too much of their identity to leave out.

Thank you to everyone who's so kindly commented. As for where the story is heading, I have no clue. It's driving itself.

I should probably point out, again, that _R__ichard_ Salmons is a canon character. He only had two or three frames where he was killed trying to protect Tommy from The Marauders, but he is _not_ my creation. Thomas and Marcus are original to me.

Besides her unusual appearance, Tommy can flatten her body to the thickness of a sheet of paper and slip into tiny spaces. In the _X-Men_ animated series she had powers of camouflage as well, changing her colors to match her surroundings.

_Arpia_ \- Harpy

Wild Child and Skin should have been students in _X-Men: Evolution_.

The Living Mummy - N'Kantu

Shaman - Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen (of Alpha Flight)

Friedrich Von Roehm is the Black Rook of The Inner Circle of The Hellfire Club and is, in fact, a werewolf. He's also Selene's high priest.

Sebastian Shaw is The Black King of The Hellfire Club and the CEO of Shaw Industries.

Selene is The Black Queen. I hate her with a passion rivaled only by my hatred for Lolth and Orochimaru.

Donald Pierce is the White Bishop.

Yes, Hellcow is canon. Marvel needs more Hellcow!


	11. Chapter 11

Snakehead

11

"Tom, come take a look at this."

Thomas Salmons was deep into his copy of _Egyptian Hieroglyphics for Idiots_. It was such a complicated system. He knew a very few terms already, like _Khe__pri_ (the inscription on his scarab seal) which represented both the scarab and the scarab-headed god of creation, rebirth, sunrise and, of course, scarab beetles. It was mildly amusing to him that the Egyptians attached so much significance to the _dung beetle._ But the various bird symbols all looked alike to him . . .

"Tom!" Ray shouted.

He looked up to see Ray standing by the window, inserted a bookmark into the book and set it aside. He noticed then a strange sound coming from somewhere outside. "What's going –"

At the gates of the school was a small crowd of people carrying signs with such slogans as '_The Only Good Mutant is a Dead Mutant_', '_Thank God for Dead Mutants_' and '_Mutie go Home!_' A tall, well-dressed man with a bullhorn was shouting something he couldn't quite make out.

Thomas shrugged dismissively, "Are those the dickheads who protest at soldier's funerals?"

"No. These are different dickheads. The Church of Humanity, Satan's own." There was anger in Ray's voice, "See the guy with the loudspeaker? That's the 'Reverend' William Stryker."

Thomas looked harder and confirmed it was indeed the infamous preacher standing outside the school. He'd seen the idiot on television, but never in the flesh. Nor did he wish to waste time on him.

"Oh no . . ." Ray pointed downward, onto the school grounds. Quentin, Glob Herman and Kyle were walking toward the crowd, and neither boy had any doubt about their intentions.

...

"Don't do this." Xavier appeared between the school and the gate, with Cyclops and Wolverine beside him, "Don't antagonize them, that's just what they want. An excuse."

"Well I'll give them one." Quentin replied ominously, "That preacher better be ready for _Judgment Day_."

"And I suppose you'll deal with the sentinels and troops they send in if you attack him?"

"Who said '_attack_'? I was thinking more along the lines of '_kill_'."

Xavier's face paled, "You can't mean that . . ."

Kyle turned to Quentin, "_Kill_? Are you crazy? They'll make him look like a martyr. I just wanna' slash his pretty face up."

"It doesn't matter. You'd bring the wrath of the authorities upon ALL of us, and prove those idiot's arguments about how violent and dangerous mutants are. Do really want that?" Logan asked.

Kyle considered for a moment, but Quentin's eyes were still fierce and Glob was unreadable.

Suddenly shouts erupted from the crowd. Screams of 'mutie!' and similar insults were heard as the crowd began to turn upon itself. Quentin laughed. It was so simple to make them see each other as mutants. They'd deal with themselves, and he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty. Xavier tried to dispel the illusion but Quentin was a stronger telepath than he was. He mentally called for Jean Grey to help.

...

"What the Hell?" Thomas asked as the crowd began attacking each other.

"Quentin's probably made them see each other as mutants," There was a hint of dark satisfaction in his voice, "So they've turned on each other." He chuckled. "Serves 'em right."

"I hope they didn't send anyone after The Brotherhood, they don't even have a fence to protect them."

Ray frowned at that and pulled out his cell phone, dialing up quickly. There was no answer.

"I think they may be in trouble. Xavier can't help, and we can't get out of here unless we can fly . . . Which we can't."

"Kubark can fly!" Thomas offered. He didn't get along well with the Strontian, but he knew the boy loved a good fight.

"Go find him. I'll try to reach Todd."

Thomas rushed out of the room as Ray called again. Still no answer. Maybe The Toad was taking a shower or something. Yeah, right, Todd Tolensky actually _showering_?

"Yo!"

"Todd. Are you alright?"

There was a sound of breaking glass, "Can't talk right now!" There was a heavy thud, and Todd muttered something about jerks.

Thomas entered the room with Kubark, Sam, Angelo and Kurt.

"They're in trouble."

"Then let us commence with the pounding!" Kid Gladiator shouted eagerly.

Thomas picked up Ray's baseball bat, "Mind if I borrow this?"

"You're not coming."

"WHAT!?"

"Look, they can take care of themselves. And even if they can't, Kubark could take on the whole bunch of 'em and win without breakin' a sweat."

"He's right, homes. Besides, somebody's gotta' stay here and guard the crib." Angelo said gently, "We do have fools out in front of our own _casa_ too, ya' know."

Thomas looked down at the bat. They were right, of course, but he wanted to do something. To be useful. "Go on. Don't waste time with me. They might need help now."

Ray swallowed hard. He knew he'd hit a nerve, unintentionally, of course, but there wasn't time to deal with it. For all he knew The Brotherhood had been crucified by now.

"I'm sorry, Tom."

"Enough talk! More punching!" Kubark grabbed Ray around the waist and flew out the window, over the heads of the various distracted parties below.

"He didn' mean nothin', ya know." Angelo understood what it felt like to be the weakest link. His skin, while highly elastic, was not any stronger than that of a normal human. "Besides, Kubark's a one man army."

"I know." Thomas said softly.

...

The first thing they saw was cracked asphalt and scattered signs. Lance was obviously not holding back, which wouldn't bode well for the ruined shack The Brotherhood called a headquarters. Fortunately,( for Kubark at least), there were a number of attackers still standing. One held a lit Molotov cocktail, which was quickly smothered in Toad's thick mucous before it could be thrown, much to the disgust of the man holding it. Kubark punched the would-be-arsonist into next Tuesday before setting Ray down and wading happily into the fray.

"Well. If it isn't 'Lightning' Ray Crisp."

Ray recognized both the voice and the jerk it belonged to, "That's _Berzerker_ to you, Duncan."

"I've waited for this for a long time." The larger blond cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

Ray gave a cocky smile, "Yeah, you're _waaay_ overdue for a beatin'."

Duncan swung a baseball bat at Ray, who easily ducked and landed a hard right-cross in his gut while slapping the bat away with his left hand. The jock swung down, catching Ray's right shoulder, only to be kneed in the groin. The bigger man fell, holding himself in agony as Ray rubbed his sore shoulder, "Had enough?" Duncan flung out his arm to swipe Ray off his feet, but the Berzerker jumped back as the other man started to his feet. "You're even dumber than I thought." Ray sneered as Duncan bum-rushed him. Ray let loose a roundhouse that sent the bully to the broken street, out cold. "Bet they didn't teach you _that_ on the football team."

"Yo, Ray!" Todd hopped over, landing hard on Duncan's back, he had a few cuts and bruises. The fighting had been pretty intense here. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me. I've wanted to do that for years." His shoulder was starting to hurt, but it was just bruised.

Toad suddenly lunged in Ray's direction, slamming feet first into the guy trying to sneak up behind him, "Watch y'r six, bro."

Ray didn't need any more encouragement. He turned and began blasting mild shocks at anyone who came close. The ground began to shake again, knocking several people, friend and foe, over. Then the unthinkable happened.

A water main burst.

"Oh _CRAP_!" Ray managed to power down before the water turned him into a Kentucky Fried Teenager, but his powers had been rendered useless. "What the Hell did you do that for, Avalanche?!"

"Look at my jeep!" Lance shouted back. The vehicle's windows were shattered and smoke was rising from the interior.

That was bad. The ground fell away near the jeep, dumping several attackers into a sinkhole, "Nobody touches my jeep!"

Ray assumed a fighting stance as the water began to pour down upon the group. Some fled, several stayed to fight and several more were out on the ground.

Freddy was pounding the front end of a bus, presumably the one that had ferried the attackers there, into scrap. Pietro was a blur and Wanda had slipped out of range of the pouring water. Mystique was no where to be seen. Toad punched another attacker before the force of the water drove everyone back. Sirens were blaring and part of the old house's roof came crashing in.

"We gotta' get outta' here, yo!" Toad shouted over the sound of the water.

"I should'a brought Kurt." Ray mumbled under his breath.

Miraculously, the school's bus drove up, Storm behind the wheel before the cops arrived. All of the mutants quickly piled aboard and sat wet and shivering as the firetrucks rounded the corner.

Storm shook her head at the sight of the destruction, but didn't waste time in fleeing the scene.

Lance sat with his head in his hands, "My jeep, man . . . They trashed my jeep."

"On the bright side, the freakin' _house_ fell down!" Toad shouted.

"That was excellent! Kid Gladiator approves!"

"Man, I'm soaked."

Wanda smiled, a rare thing, to be sure, "Then why don't you take off your clothes, Ray. I certainly wouldn't mind."

Ray turned beet red as Pietro and Todd shot him venomous glances for vastly different reasons.

...

Back at the mansion, the assembled students watched as Quentin took on Xavier and Jean Grey and the crowd pounded themselves bloody. Quentin was apparently stronger than both of them, but he was starting to struggle to keep up his illusions _and_ fight two powerful telepaths.

Thomas' vocal projector began to screech and vibrate uncomfortably, he swiftly took it off and threw it onto the bed.

"What the . . . _Dios mio_!" Angelo exclaimed as a red-armored figure descended from the sky and hovered above the heads of the protesters. Thomas, unable to speak without the device, merely watched in shock. It was Kurt who vocalized the name on everyone's lips.

"Magneto!"

...

To be continued . .

Notes-

I know, Wanda is _very _OOC, but I enjoy embarrassing my characters. ; ) No woman can resist Ray.

I've wanted for years to beat the crap out of Duncan Matthews. : )=

Some mutants who look 'not-quite-human' (like Kyle) call any 'normal' looking person 'pretty'.


	12. Chapter 12

Snakehead

12

"You must be William Stryker." It was more of a statement than a question. Magneto knew exactly who the bigoted (and thanks to Quentin, bloodied) preacher was.

"The pleasure is all your's, Hellspawn." Stryker pulled a gun from his suit jacket and emptied the chambers at The Master of Magnetism. The bullets sped backwards and struck the asphalt around him, kicking up sharp bits of asphalt.

Xavier rushed toward the scene, "Erik, don't do this! Don't make a martyr out of him!"

"You truly are a fool, Charles, if you value the lives of animals such as this." Magneto waved his hand and a bubble of glimmering energy encircled the fallen preacher, lifting him into the air, "The 'Reverend' and I need to have a discussion. A _private_ discussion."

Stryker snarled defiantly, "Go to Hell!"

"I spent my childhood in Hell, Mr. Stryker, thanks to men like you. I intend to end this cancer now, before it spreads."

A tree tore itself from the school grounds and struck Magneto roots-first, stunning him and causing the preacher to fall several feet to the ground. The tree itself fell upon Stryker's car, smashing it flat.

A quizzical look crossed Magneto's face. Charles would not attack him so. "Who?"

Quentin smiled. He had no desire to stop Magneto from harming Stryker, but he didn't want to miss the chance to get in a shot at the great Magneto either.

Magneto chose to ignore the youth, hoping that he would leave him be. Police sirens roared as half a dozen cop cars converged on the protest site. Magneto eyed them with contempt, picked up the half-conscious Stryker and rushed away, leaving chaos in his wake.

...

A short time later,

Thomas looked at the two soaked boys who entered his shared bedroom, "What happened?"

"Don't ask." Ray pulled off his shirt and grabbed some dry clothing, "I'm going to take a hot shower."

"Yo, Tom, can I borrow some clothes?" Todd was already stripping off his sodden garments, and Thomas rushed to close the curtains before the boy inadvertently exposed himself to everyone on earth with a television set.

"Yeah . . . Sure. Right side of the dresser." Thomas couldn't help but feel a bit confused at the surreal sight of his 'enemy' standing stark naked and soaking wet in his room. The boy was thin, surprisingly well-muscled, but clearly undernourished. Todd began rummaging through Tom's clothes, pulling out a pair of shorts. Ray threw him a towel to dry himself before closing the bathroom door, leaving Thomas to wonder what to do with the pile of wet clothing on the floor. He cringed despite himself as the unclad youth flopped onto his bed to pull on the provided clothing.

"This don't bother you, does it?" Todd asked. "Sorry, I wasn't thinkin' about . . ."

"Nothing I haven't seen before." Thomas answered honestly, "But I'd make sure the curtains are shut first next time. Three words; _International News Conference_." Todd blushed and his eyes bulged even more than usual. "Thanks for pullin' the shades, Dawg."

"What happened to you?"

"Our house fell down and Lance broke a water main. We all got soaked."

Thomas gaped in shock, "Your house fell down? What are you going to do?"

"Storm said we could stay here for now. Why are your pillows at the_ foot_ of the bed?"

"That's how I sleep. Are you alright?" Thomas sat beside the boy, it was his bed after all.

"I been dealin' with this kind a' crap all my life, it don' bother me no more, yo." He grinned, "You shoulda' seen Ray beat the hell out of Duncan."

"Who?"

"Oh, yeah, you haven't had the displeasure. Duncan Matthews is a Grade-A dick and Jean's ex-boyfriend. Captain of the football team, big-shot jock with a brain the size of a pea." He cocked his head slightly, "Wait, press conference? Why?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Magneto was here."

_"WHAT!?"_ Ray shouted over the sound of the shower.

Thomas began to explain what had happened

...

"He just took him and left?" Ray emerged from the bathroom fairly dry. He'd changed into a pair of light blue sweatpants and had fixed his hair. Todd lay sprawled on his back in Tom's bed.

Todd eyed Ray's bare, chiseled upper body, "Man, why can't_ I_ look like that?"

"Evolution is a cruel mistress, Todd." Thomas lamented. "You think _that's_ unfair, you should see him _naked._"

Ray's eyes began to glow dangerously, "The next person to refer to my naked body _will_ fry!"

Todd smirked, "Wassa' matter, _shy_?" He yelped and jumped about six feet as a low voltage spark struck his right foot. "OUCH!"

"Now, what about Magneto?" Ray demanded.

Thomas shrugged, "He just waltzed off like it was nothing. I don't know why he didn't just kill the creep on the spot. Not that that would be right, but in Magneto's screwed-up mind, who knows?" He picked up Todd's ratty, soggy clothing and put them in the laundry basket.

"What I wanna' know is, why did he come _here_, when his _kids_ were getting attacked at our place, yo?" Todd sat up, rubbing his tingling foot. He lazily picked up Thomas' book, "I mean, he ain't exactly daddy of the year, but you'd think he'd at least try to help. . ." He opened _Egyptian Hieroglyphics for Idiots_, "Does this have that thing that ate the hearts of sinners?"

"_Ammit,_ Devourer of Souls?"

"Yeah, that croco-hippo-hyena thingy. When they weighed the heart an' the feather."

"I'm sure there's a picture of _The Weighing of The Heart_ in there somewhere . . . I only just started it myself."

"Shouldn't we be more concerned with the judgment _we're_ probably about to face?" Ray asked as he searched his drawers for a clean shirt, "A street, a bus and several guys' faces got broken in that fight. An' you know Duncan's gonna' squeal like the pig he is."

Todd laughed at that, "Pig-boy gonna' squeal?"

"I'm serious! We could be in BIG trouble."

Todd flopped backwards into the bed, "So wha's new?"

Tom looked at the green youth, "How do _you_ know about Ammit?"

"Wanda's really into all that pagan stuff."

Ray face-palmed, "Aren't you worried at all about the police?"

"Didn' they have a frog god?"

"_Heqet_, but _she_ was a frog _goddess_."

"Unbelievable . . . " Ray shook his head. He pulled on a bright red t-shirt, "And if I smell you in _my_ bed, Todd, your butt is toast!"

Todd stuck out his tongue at the tall boy.

Ray paused, then looked toward his roommate, "Tom, you know . . . I didn't mean anything, I mean, leavin' you behind . . ."

"I know. You don't have to apologize, I can barely throw a punch. You didn't need me."

"I do have faith in you."

"Oh, shut up. I understand already. It's not important."

...

Outside

"I assure you, we had nothing to do with Magneto's misguided attack." Charles Xavier was faced by numerous newscasters and cameras, not to mention police. And all of them demanded answers, "And we condemn this as the act of terrorism it is."

"Couldn't you have stopped him?"

"His helmet protects him from telepathic assault. There was nothing I could have done, and two of our three members with the capability of flight were not present at the time of the assault. The third is a telepath like myself and was similarly disadvantaged."

"What do you think he'll do to Reverend Stryker?"

"God only knows. No pun intended."

"What about the fact that some of your students were seen aiding Magneto's Brotherhood? Several protesters were hurt and there was a great deal of property damage to the area." One reporter pressed, "And what about the fact that you are now sheltering The Brotherhood?"

"Two of my students took it upon themselves to aid The Brotherhood, fearing for their safety. From what I understand, those fears were well founded. The Brotherhood's home and their vehicle were destroyed by these 'protesters' and they sustained minor injuries as well."

"And so did many protesters outside your school, due to_ mutant mind control_." The reporter was clearly fishing for an 'evil mutant' angle. "Do you deny any involvement in _that_?"

"One of my students was responsible, against my direct orders, and he _will_ be punished."

"By the police, or by _you_?"

"That remains to be determined. Now, if you have any more questions, I suggest you contact my attorney." Jean began to wheel Xavier away. They were both weakened from the mental battle with Quentin and had little energy left for 'troubleshooting'.

"What about the members of The Brotherhood?"

"As I said, you'll have to take that up with Mr. Murdock."

As soon as they were out of voice range Logan walked over to Xavier, "This is bad, Charlie. Stryker may be an racist douche-bag, but he's got thousands a' people thinking he's _The Second Coming_."

"I am well aware of that Mr. Logan," Xavier's face betrayed no emotion, "I can only hope that common sense will win out."

"When in all a' history did 'common sense' ever come inta' play?"

"Please, Logan," Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Thanks to Mr. Quire both Miss. Gray and myself are decidedly disadvantaged for the moment. The school is in your hands."

"What do ya' want me ta' do about that little prick Quire?"

"That's no way to speak about one of our students. And, at the moment, there is nothing we can do to Mr. Quire, he's more powerful than all of us." He sighed, "Now, all we can do is make sure both our students and The Brotherhood stay on their best behavior, we cannot afford to have another incident. I really have to rest . . . "

Logan looked from his boss to the angry, restless crowd at the gate, "I hope ya' know what yer doin' Charlie."

...

Thomas nervously looked over the statuettes on the small bookshelf while holding his cell phone, "Yeah, I'm fine. They didn't get past the gates." Thomas tried to instill a sense of calm in his metallic voice, "But I think you and Tommy need to be careful. There's a lot of nuts out there screaming for mutant blood after what happened."

"What the Hell was Magneto thinking?" Richard's voice was torn between annoyance and concern that carried clearly through the cell phone. "Is he _trying_ to start a war?"

"Yes, I believe he is, but on his own terms. I think he figured he'd remove Stryker before he became the next Hitler. I'm afraid it's going to blow up in all of our faces, now."

"Has dad called you?"

Thomas picked up a small, cast-resin model of an Egyptian barque, "Not yet. He may not know. And, if he does, he may be too afraid to contact me directly." He set the miniature vessel down, "If you see him, tell him I'm okay. _Discretely_. I don't want Pierce to find out I'm here."

"You don't have to tell me, little brother." Discretion was a matter of life and death for a mercenary, especially one employed by The Hellfire Club, "Just . . . Stay safe."

"You too . . ."

...

Needless to say, Kubark was pissed that he'd missed the chance to pound Magneto into the dust. "While I was punching those puny humans _Magneto_ came here?" He shook his fist, "I hope that coward returns so that I may give him a proper thrashing!"

...

In another part of the mansion.

"I can't believe he didn't even try to help us!"

"I can." Wanda looked at her twin, though her voice was impassive, her eyes were clearly pained, "When has he _ever_ helped us? When has he shown the slightest concern for our well-being? We have to face facts, Pietro. Our father couldn't care less about us."

Deep down, Pietro knew that it was true, but he was still his father. Every child wants their parent's love and acceptance, and when it is denied, it is a tragedy few can face without losing a part of themselves.

...

To be continued . . .

_Ammit_ is also known as _Ammut_. She is a goddess of Destruction and Justice/Judgement.

_Heqet_ is a fertility goddess. The Plague of Frogs from _Exodus_ was a direct (and successful) attack upon Heqet and her power.

Gratuitous Naked Todd and shirtless Ray fan service. ; )


	13. Chapter 13

Snakehead

13

Todd lay on his belly in the warm, comfortable bed, snoring loudly. Clean sheets, a soft pillow . . . He awoke and stretched contentedly, he hadn't slept that well in a long time. He was grateful that Xavier had allowed them to stay 'for the time being'. The house was in no shape for habitation, and he didn't fancy sleeping on the cold streets with mutant-hating nuts lurking around every corner. He stepped out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt the school had provided. Thomas had offered to buy him clothes, again, but the situation made a trip to the mall too dangerous. They couldn't even go back and gather their things from the wreckage. Some of the less obvious mutants were going to try to gather what they could for the members of The Brotherhood, but it wasn't safe for those like him.

He noticed Lance's bed was empty, he must have gotten up early. Probably makin' out with Kitty. Bein' in the X-Mansion had it's perks, if you had friends there.

Todd wasn't too worried about the X-Men hassling him, he was more worried about what Mystique might do when she decided to show her blue scaly face. A sour note passed through his soul, the old hag had said something about using the X-Men's kindness against them. Todd had no desire to do so, even if he disliked some of the students, most had been kind to him, for now, at least. Last time they'd pretty much kicked him to the curb as soon as he made a mistake. But it was a little different now, the newer students, like Thomas and Broo, didn't really know him or judge him. He was sure Scott and most of the others would still look down on him, but he was used to that. He didn't need their approval. 'The perpetual outsider', Ray had called him that, once. Ray understood better than the others, he knew what it was like to suffer, even if he was ridiculously good-looking. His mutation had cost him his home, his family, his future. Now the only paths open to him were The X-Men and The Brotherhood. He knew what it meant to be an outcast, and treated Todd with respect, even if he did have a short fuse. Tom was trying hard, too, for a different reason. _Pity._ He knew the boy felt sorry for him. He didn't resent him that, Snakehead just didn't know any better. He just saw a poor, hungry, practically (and currently literally) homeless boy in need of help and friendship. And he was genuinely friendly. It was rare that anyone treated him kindly, and he wasn't so far gone as to betray friends, despite Mystique's threats.

Once again he had a choice, The Brotherhood or The X-Men. They all did.

He just hoped they wouldn't be driven away again.

There was a third option. _The Morlocks_. They wouldn't care what he looked like and how he smelled, and they wouldn't force him to fight for some fanatic's pipe dream. But he didn't know if he could live in the sewers, hiding from the world. He knew that one day even they'd have to fight, the humans would find out, eventually, and they'd have to protect themselves. He hoped they'd be ready when that day came.

There was a knock on the door, and he opened it, rubbing his eyes. Thomas was smiling at him, "Breakfast's about to start, Todd. I know you're hungry, so we better get there before it's gone."

"Sure thing, yo." He yawned again, "Jus' lemme get my shoes on." He was hungry, but it was a familiar feeling, The Brotherhood wasn't exactly well-funded, and Freddy and Pietro had to eat a lot for their mutant metabolisms.

As they walked down the hall, Thomas kept talking, "Sleep well?"

"Like the dead." He turned, "I know it's none a' my business, but did you hear from your dad?"

"Yeah. He's a bit worried. Shaw Industries and Pierce Consolidated Mining just got big contracts with the government. Rush jobs."

"Sentinels?"

"Probably." He smiled, "But I wouldn't worry, we still have Stupor Boy, I mean Kubark. He can break their toys without breaking a sweat."

A question came to Todd's mind, and he spoke before he could think better of it, "Did Xavier ask you to keep an eye on me?" Todd saw a hint of pain in Thomas' eyes, "I-I mean, I just . . ."

"No." He said simply. Why did everyone have to question his motives? "I'm hanging around with you because I _want_ to, not because I _have_ to."

"I'm sorry. It's just, not many people want to be around me, and nobody trusts me."

"I trust you."

"That's a bad idea, yo. You don't know me. I'm not a 'good guy'. I'm a criminal. A _terrorist_."

"What is _Legal_ and what is _Just_ are often two very different things." Thomas replied somberly, "To people like Stryker, if you can call Stryker 'people', we're all evil."

"That's what I believe, too. The world hates us because we're 'different', we gotta' do what it takes to survive."

"You know, I like you." Tom grinned wickedly, "And, of course, after your little strip-tease last night I realized just how _cute_ you are . . ." He playfully slapped Todd on the backside.

Todd went bone white, "WHAT!? I-I'm _not_ . . ."

Thomas made that harsh sound indicating laughter, "I got you! You should see your face!" He threw an arm around Todd's hunched shoulders, "Relax, it was a joke. You _are_ handsome, though."

"Great. The one person in the world who doesn't think I'm ugly is a _guy_."

"Ugly? And they say I have self-esteem issues. You're _not_ ugly! You could have it a _lot_ worse. I have a _snake_ for a tongue, I'll _never_ be able to kiss anyone." He gave a long sigh at that, "Listen, I'm sure there's a girl out there for you. There are plenty of people who don't care if you have a . . . _Musk_ or a long tongue."

Todd hadn't considered that. His extendable, prehensile tongue was a turn-off to most girls, but at least it wasn't a venomous snake. "If that's true, I never met them . . ."

"I'm sure you will, one day. By the way, Todd, nice mullet."

Todd ran a hand through his greasy brown hair, "Thanks."

...

The dining room was unusually quiet. Between the presence of The Brotherhood and the looming possibility of war the students were too anxious for their usual banter. There were a few subdued conversations and some suspicious glances being thrown about. All eyes, a few unfriendly, fixed on Todd and Thomas as they entered the room and took seats between Ray and Freddy.

"So, do you think Mr. Logan killed Quentin?"

"More likely the other way around."

"I heard the military contracted for new sentinels."

"Let them! Kid Gladiator welcomes the challenge!" Kubark, at least, was upbeat.

"Are you looking at my chest?" Wanda demanded. All eyes turned to Thomas. Pietro had murder in his eyes.

Thomas blushed and held up his hands, "No, I'm looking at your _Ankh_. I collect Egyptian art."

"It's true!" Todd chimed in, "He has a bunch of little statues and stuff. Yesterday we were talkin' about _Ammit _and _Heqet_ and stuff . . ."

Wanda blushed as well, "Sorry. It looked like you were staring . . ."

Thomas smiled, "I understand. I'm not a 'social' person. I make a lot of mistakes. I apologize, I didn't realize I was staring."

Then came the daily ritual known alternately as 'The Feeding of The Snake' and 'Feeding Time at The Reptile House.' Thomas swallowing small pieces of food and pretty much lapping up water. For a snake to drink enough to keep a human (mutant) alive was a trial in itself, and he always had to be careful not to exert himself to the point of dehydration. The Brotherhood members watched in fascination (disgust in Pietro's case) as the grim spectacle unfolded. After he finished he replaced the vocal projector.

"So, uh Wanda, are your powers really magical or a genetic mutation?"

"Both, actually. I was born near a place called Mount Wundagore, which radiates a great deal of magical energy because of an imprisoned demon."

"_Chthon_?"

"How did you know that?"

"I heard about him from my brother. Richard works at The Hellfire Club, and the people there like to dabble in things they'd be better leaving alone. _The Book of Darkhold_, _The Necronomicon_ . . . And they barely notice the guards and staff, as if they're too stupid to understand what they are doing. He's seen some truly terrible things. I wish he'd find work somewhere else . . ." He paused thoughtfully, "Why wasn't Pietro affected? You are twins, after all."

"I don't know. Chthon may have had something _special_ in mind for me. Whatever it is, I hope he doesn't succeed. Nothing good can come from demons like that."

"I agree completely."

"Are you Pagan?"

"No, I just like Egyptian art."

Quicksilver shot him another ugly glance, apparently thinking they were flirting. Thomas figured that they would get along _wonderfully_.

...

Asteroid M

William Stryker studied his captors even as he struggled against his bonds. He recognized two of them, the blue she-devil Mystique and the sadistic, furry giant known as Sabertooth. The other two were unknown, one was a tall, handsome man with dark hair and glowing red eyes. He was wearing a long coat and carried a staff, and seemed to be amusing himself with card tricks. The other looked to be a red-headed teenage boy in battle armor outfitted with flame throwers. The later would occasionally cackle, as if he was privy to some joke no one else understood. Probably a nut-case.

"You're dead. All of you. My death will bring the righteous judgement of Heaven upon -"

Mystique punched him, hard, "Have you ever even read _The Bible_? I'm not religious, I don't claim to be, but I know that what you preach is hogwash."

"Do not presume to lecture _me_ on Theology,_ Devil's Whore_!"

"Such is the way of the zealot; passion without knowledge." Everyone turned as Magneto entered the room, "Emotion without wisdom. Hate without cause. It's pitiful, in a way. Unwavering devotion to a perverse theology you invented yourself."

"Like yours', Hellspawn?" Stryker spat blood and saliva at the scarlet-clad mutant, "You're the hypocrite! God will judge!"

"I lost faith in any God at Auschwitz." Magneto replied calmly, "But from what I remember of my parents they sought peace through the _Torah_, for all the good it did them. I am not so merciful." He leaned in close to the bound human, "Tell me, 'Reverend', where exactly does _The Bible_ say to kill your children because they are born different? Are we not also Children of Adam?"

"You are the children of The Devil! Your demonic powers are proof enough of that!"

"Is that not what the Pharisees said of Jesus? That he gained his powers through _Beelzebub_? There are mutants who make the lame walk, the blind see . . ."

"Silence your blasphemies, demon! Jesus was not one of your cursed breed!"

"There can be no reasoning with his kind." Mystique observed, "All he understands is hatred."

"Then let us return that hatred in kind." Magneto smiled thinly and pulled a thin metal device from his belt, "This syringe contains a mutagenic compound that will transform you into that which you so hate. If we are damned, then you are about to join us in Perdition." Sabertooth and the tall man held Stryker firmly as Magneto plunged the syringe into his neck, "Welcome to Homo Superior, _brother Stryker_."

William Stryker screamed in horror as a burning sensation filled his entire being like the fires of Hell.

...

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Yes, Magneto is being a hypocrite. He is basically a terrorist cult leader who has abandoned his own children and is willing to kill anyone who gets in the way of his vision of mutant supremacy of earth.

The two mystery characters are, of course, Gambit and Pyro. Since I suck at accents, they have no lines.

As one reviewer brought out, having a snake for a tongue would preclude any kind of kissing, something I honestly hadn't thought of before.

_Chthon_ was and Elder God until becoming the first being to study 'black' magic, which led him to become an evil demon. He wrote an indestructible book of demonic magic called _The Book of Darkhold_. His writings were responsible for the creation of Varnae, the first vampire and all of his prodigy, and countless other horrors. He is imprisoned in a pocket dimension linked to earth by Mount Wundagore. He _does_ have a plan for Wanda, but I doubt I'll get to it.


	14. Chapter 14

Snakehead

14

The expedition to The Brotherhood house was a moderate success, they recovered Avalanche's jeep and some important personal items. Everyone was of the impression that the only thing that saved the house from being burned down by the hateful crowds was that it was too wet to catch fire.

Small miracles . . .

Logan, Lance and a very unhappy Quentin Quire worked on the repairs to Lance's jeep. It would take a lot of time and money to repair the damage, but they had free (if unskilled and surly) labor in the form of Quentin. As for money, the needed funds had just 'appeared', slipped under the door to Lance and Todd's room during the night. Logan had a good idea where the money came from, and it sure as Hell wasn't Magneto. Quentin, on the other hand, knew exactly who had left the money, he just didn't care. Lance had no idea, yet. He'd probably figure it out sooner or later.

He might have a kind heart, but he wasn't very good at covering his tracks.

...

Thomas was obsessing over how to properly, artfully balance his black sphinx with his similarly sized and shaped seated jackal statuette on his curio shelf. Ray was reading a book on the life and work of Nikola Tesla, and Todd was sprawled out in Tom's bed again, examining a replica of an Ancient Egyptian scroll that depicted Anubis weighing the heart of a supplicant against the feather of Ma'at while Ammit crouched hungrily nearby.

"I wonder if they were based on mutants. The Egyptian gods, I mean. People with dog's heads an' cat's heads, and human heads on cat's bodies. Maybe old Apocalypse wasn't the first 'human' mutant after all."

"I doubt it, Todd. I mean about mutants inspiring the Egyptian pantheon. After all, we've seen Thor, Loki, Hercules and a whole host of other 'mythological' figures running around wreaking havoc. There may very well be an Anubis or Ammit or Sobek out there. The supernatural is everywhere. One of the mercenaries The Hellfire Club hires sometimes, a guy named Roughouse, is supposed to be an Asgardian. His partner, Bloodscream, is a vampire who was Sir Francis Drake's ship's doctor. They're out there, all those old gods and demons, they're just laying low . . ."

"I hope I don't run inta' Ammit." Todd clutched his heart for emphasis.

Thomas smiled, "Can_ any_ of us honestly say we have pure hearts? You're no worse than anyone else, probably better than most." He shook his head, "_I'm_ afraid that I'll wake up one day to find out I'm actually one of _Set's_ kids. Not the Egyptian god Set, but The Elder Demon. Remember when I was talking to Wanda about Chthon? Set is Chthon's brother, an evil serpent god. He's supposed to have committed the first murder on earth, long before Cain was born. He ate some of his brothers to steal their divine powers and became a demon. I do not want _his_ blood in my veins."

"Maybe I'm related to Heqet." Toad set the scroll aside.

"Maybe. Speaking of families, why didn't Magneto spring for a better place?" Thomas asked Todd, "It's not like he couldn't get the money."

Todd shrugged, "'Cause he don't care. He's got The Acolytes and probably others to do what he wants. We're the bottom of the food chain."

"But Pietro and Wanda? They're his own kids, and he has them living in a dump?"

Ray grimaced, "Like Todd said, he doesn't care about anyone,_ especially_ his own kids. You want to know why Wanda's so cold? He kept her in an _institution_ most of her life. Never even visited, didn't allow Pietro to visit, either."

"She's not crazy!" Todd growled fiercely. Even if Ray hadn't already told him, it would have been obvious to Thomas that Todd had a crush on Wanda.

"I wasn't saying that she was. I was just telling him what kind of man Magneto is. How he treats people."

Tom shrugged, "To be fair, he _was_ in a concentration camp."

"That doesn't give him a special right to be a murderous douche-bag. Millions of people suffered in those camps, and they didn't turn into psycho terrorists when they got out. He can't excuse everything he does by blaming the Nazis. It's like saying '_The Devil made me do it'_. I feel bad for him, I can't imagine what he went through, but it's not a license to kill people and ruin his kid's lives. or anyone else's kids for that matter."

Todd and Thomas were both silent. He made a good point, just because you've suffered doesn't give you the right to inflict suffering on others.

Ray turned to Thomas, "Speaking of Pietro, he could have killed you. What were you thinking, staring at Wanda, I mean_ Wanda's jewelry_ like that?"

"I _wasn't_ thinking. Why would someone wear jewelry if not to draw attention to it?"

Todd grinned, reached over and tugged on Ray's earring, getting a mild shock.

"Ouch!"

...

Asteroid M

"Our . . . _Guest_ has become quite interesting looking. What do you want done with him?"

Magneto didn't bother to turn to look at Mystique, "Throw him back. Back into the loving arms of his congregation." A slight smile crossed his lips.

"And what about The Brotherhood? They are still at Xavier's school."

Magneto paused for a moment. "Assuming the _open-minded_ students and staff don't drive them away again? They'll come back, where else can they go? For all their lofty talk of unity and forgiveness Xavier's underlings will not accept those children."

"I know it is not my place, and I am not a . . . _Model_ mother myself, but two of those 'children' are _yours_ . . ."

"You're right. It is _not_ your place to judge me, Raven." Magneto said coldly, "Now leave me. Have Gambit drop Stryker on the streets near his church. Let him see the folly of his actions and reap the fruits of his sins."

...

That night, at the X-Mansion,

Charles Xavier emerged from Cerebra with a deeply troubled look upon his face. "Logan, I've detected a newly empowered mutant." He frowned, "It's William Stryker."

Logan laughed wildly, "That's the funniest thing I've heard in years, Charlie!"

"His life is in danger! He's been left on the steps of his own church!"

"That's even better!" He chuckled "Do I look like a give a rat's -"

"Logan, we have to help him!"

"Nope." Logan smirked, "We're better off without him."

"We cannot allow ourselves to sink to his level. We're going to save him, with or without your help."

Logan sighed. He didn't have much of a choice, they'd be fighting The Church of Humanity, and would need all the boots they could get. Besides, he'd get to beat up some of those COH idiots. "I'll come. But don't expect me to be nice to him."

...

Elsewhere,

The Reverend William Stryker half-stumbled, half-slithered down the street. Much of his body had been rendered slug-like, boneless and slimy. His face had stretched into a mask of horror, and his shriveled arms hung near useless at his sides. Part of him wanted to stop, to let his followers catch him and destroy him like the perverse abomination he had become. But something deep within his twisted mind cried out to flee, to survive, even in this wretched state. He had been cast down, thrown from Grace and accursed. Had he committed some grave sin? Was this God's displeasure, or the work of the Devil? Surely God would not use demons like Magneto to punish a sinner. It was Satan's work.

He felt a metal bat strike his flabby back, sending agony through his tortured body. "Die you mutie filth!" He recognized the voice, it was one of his Deacons. He wanted to cry out, to explain, but he could not work his twisted mouth. He heard a gun cock, and closed his eyes, waiting for his reward. Suddenly there were confused shouts, the sounds of a scuffle as a battle broke out around him. The gun went off, but it was pointed at someone else.

"Mornin' Rev." The mutant called Wolverine appeared before him, grinning like a fiend, "Look's like you've found some trouble."

_God, let me die! Do not let your servant fall into the hands of these unholy abominations! Do not let me live as a freak! _Mustering all of his strength, he spit in the mutant's eye.

"Yer' welcome."

...

To be continued . . .

Notes:

Bloodscream is not a 'true' vampire, he was transformed into a blood-drinking immortal creature by a witch doctor.

Roughhouse is believed to have either Asgardian or Giant blood.

How does Thomas know so much about Set, Chthon and other demons? It's not called _The Hellfire Club_ for nothing.


	15. Chapter 15

Snakehead

15

"He's not a mutant, of course, he's a mutate." Stryker watched as the hideous six-limbed head examined his blood, or whatever that stuff was that even now corrupted his body as it flowed through his veins, "A pure mutagenic compound. His DNA has been so radically altered that I doubt we'll be able to restore him to human form. Unless we can clone him."

"What about his mind?" Dr. Sugarman turned toward Xavier, "Is he even aware?"

_Ugly demon!_

"Yes. It's difficult to tell if he's retained his sanity, as he was clearly unstable beforehand. His mind is filled with hatred. Hatred for us, hatred for himself . . ."

The slug-like creature in the center of the medical ward could not give voice to his wrath, but at least he had the satisfaction of knowing the mind-readers among these demonic freaks knew of his feelings toward them. He had no doubt these creatures were in league with the monster who'd made him into . . . Into this unholy travesty of a body. This pretense of 'helping' him was clearly a diabolical ruse to try to win his trust. But the Reverend William Stryker would not be so easily deceived. He knew that The Devil could appear as an angel of light, charming and kind, innocent and naïve. Until the soul was ensared.

But he would endure this test. He would keep his faith.

...

"The guy's a total whack-job." Quentin leaned back in his chair and put his feet on his desk, "He thinks this is a test from God. Idiot."

"So, Magneto finally found somebody else who thinks he's God." The whole class laughed at Lance's remark, but Storm was not amused. "Mr. Stryker is not the topic of discussion in today's lesson. We are studying the mechanics of sentinels." This wasn't her class, but with Hank busy helping with Stryker she'd been pressed into service.

"It if wasn't for people like him, we wouldn't have no sentinels, yo."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Tolensky, he is far from the only person to hold such views. His death would have little effect upon the current situation." They all knew it was true, of course. But seeing such a high profile anti-mutant figure fall was somewhat exhilarating. "And your grammar is somewhat lacking, 'yo'."

"Are you makin' fun a' me?" Todd respected the fact that Storm had saved them from being arrested or worse after the battle a few days ago, but he remembered that she'd also once tried to fry him when he'd shown up on the mansion's doorstep. She could be as cold and dangerous as Mystique.

"No, Mr. Tolensky, I am not making fun of you." Well, maybe she was, a little. The boy really needed to learn to speak better English. Jean would have to deal with that joyful task. "But you, Mr. Quire," Her eyes glowed with a light reminiscent of Ray's Berzerker state, "Will see me after class. And get your feet off of your desk."

Quentin gave an exaggerated yawn, "I'll try to squeeze you into my schedule."

Thomas leaned toward Broo and whispered, "If he ever goes bad, who could stop him? Even Xavier can't control him."

"Let's hope we never find out." The young Brood hissed.

"Do you have something to tell the class, Mr. Salmons?"

"Yes. I was asking if there was any Kryptonite around in case Quentin went nuts."

Most of the class chuckled at that, Quentin only smiled, "Nope. I have no weaknesses to exploit."

Storm shook her head, "Rest assured, Thomas, we have planned for that contingency. Now, back to our subject. The Mark IV Sentinel was designed by technicians at Shaw Industries. As Mr. Shaw has recently been approached by the government to produce new sentinels, we will be studying the design and functionality of the Mark IV and hoping that it will shed some insight into the likely Mark V . . ."

...

The medical ward,

"How are we going to handle this, publicity wise?" Hank asked, "Even if we tell them that this is indeed the Reverend William Stryker, we have no way to prove it. And if we do convince the world of his identity, what will happen then?"

"I'm more worried right now about this new weapon Magneto has developed, or, more likely, had developed for him." Sugarman scratched his chin, "If a single injection can do this to a baseline human, imagine what could happen if it were put into the water supply. Or, God forbid, dispersed into the atmosphere. This sort of mutation is non-viable, he can't survive without outside assistance, imagine over seven billion mutates like this . . ."

Stryker's blood ran cold. The whole world transformed into abominations, the earth, God's own creation, warped into a hell of endless mutation? The fact that Magneto was capable of such an atrocity confirmed beyond a doubt that he was in league with Satan. He had to warn the world! Humanity was in danger of a fate far worse than death.

"Rest assured, Mr. Stryker, I have already informed both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the United Nations of this development. If Magneto attempts such an attack, which is unlikely as he would most likely destroy mutantkind as well, he _will_ be stopped." There was no hesitation in Charles' mind or heart. if it came down to the lives of everyone on earth, he would stop Erik with whatever means necessary.

Stryker, of course, did not believe him for an instant.

...

To be continued . . .

Is it Tolensky or Tolansky?


	16. Chapter 16

Snakehead

16

The school cafeteria,

"Hey, guys!" Jamie held up his tablet. It was a headline on a news site. _Bovine Blood Beast Strikes Again!_ Below the headline was a depiction of a fanged cow wearing a Dracula-style cape. "She's back!" He grinned, "I wonder, if Hellcow killed Dracula, would she become Queen of The Vampires?"

"Dracula's just a prissy poser." Thomas replied, "Varnae was and always will be Lord of The Vampires, no matter what Vlad Tepes says."

"Varnae? I've never heard of him."

"If you're powerful enough, you don't need to show off to prove yourself." Ray noted. "He's probably smart enough and powerful enough to work from the shadows. If he can control lesser vampires, he might just be behind _everything_ they do."

"Vampire cows?" Todd eyed his hamburger warily, "What happens when you _steak_ 'em, yo?"

The whole cafeteria erupted in laughter.

"How do you know so much about this Varnae creature?" Jubilee asked.

"My great-grandfather, Ambrose Salmons, was part of a cult within The Hellfire Club that tried to summon Varnae and bind him to their will. They never did identify any of the . . . _Scraps_ he left behind. My family has had a healthy respect for the old bloodsucker ever since."

"Gross!" Tabitha made a gagging motion, "And you're defending him?"

"No. I just respect the fact that he's the oldest, most powerful vampire on earth. He lived in Atlantis before it sank, and he'll probably still be here after America becomes an ocean again. He's evil, pure evil, but he's like a Darklord from _Ravenloft_. You can't kill him, even if you do he'll come back stronger than ever. He's a force of nature, you have to stay out of his way and hope he doesn't notice you."

"That's comforting." Jubilee shuddered, "Don't you think he'll notice you taking about him so much?"

Thomas shrugged, "He's got bigger fish to fry. Like Blade. I'm no threat to him."

...

Lance and Todd's room,

"I wouldn't worry too much about Tom chasin' Wanda. He was staring at me when I was takin' off my wet clothes. I'm standin' there butt naked and he's just sittin' there watchin'." Todd was examining his toes. "He said I was 'cute', yo."

Pietro's stomach turned at the thought of _Todd _naked. "He's sicker than I thought. Or blind."

"He was probably paralyzed by horror." Lance added, "Remember that time you tried on Pietro's suit and hopped right out of it? I wish I could forget seein' your scrawny little body. . ." He shuddered.

"Took me a week to get the stink out." Pietro wrinkled his nose.

"'Course, Probably don' mean nothin'. I've also seen 'im starin' at Ray. . . And Broo . . . And . . ."

"I don't want to know!" Both boys shouted in unison.

"Tom's a nice guy. I think he actually cares about you." Freddy rustled Todd's messy hair playfully, "And you are cute."

There was a knock at the door and Todd hopped over to answer it. It was Angelo, carrying a large box. "This came for you, Todd."

"Huh?"

"You got a package, _S__apo._"

"Uh, thanks." Todd took the package, "Who'd be sendin' me somethin'? Could be a bomb." He shook it, much to the shock of the other boys in the room. _Not a bomb, then._ He tore it open, reached in and pulled out a thick gray and black hoodie. There were also two t-shirts and two pairs of jeans, one blue, one black. A package of underwear. (Apparently the sender didn't know Todd went commando.) At the bottom of the box were a pair of brand new sneakers.

"Oh, snap!"

...

Ray and Thomas' room

Ray opened the door to see Lance and Todd standing there. "Hey Todd, Dominic, what do you want?"

"What did you call me?" Lance asked.

Ray shook his head, then smiled, "I called you '_Dominic_'. I must be losing it."

"Nah. You never had it. Besides, I'm here to talk to Thomas."

Ray moved aside to let Avalanche into the room. Thomas was looking over his homework, "Hi Todd, Dom . . ."

Lance stuck an envelope under Tom's nose. "I thought it came from Xavier. The money for the jeep."

Tom shot him an innocent look.

"Don't play stupid with me. How do expect me to pay this off?"

"I don't. It's a gift."

"I can't just _take_ that much money unless I steal it honestly!"

Ray chuckled.

"Listen, Dom - er, Lance. I'm just trying to help.

"I'm _not_ a charity case!"

"It's _not_ charity."

"Then what is it?"

Thomas shrugged, "Not charity." Was the best reply he could come up with.

"Did you send me those new threads, Tom?" Todd asked.

"Yeah. We're stuck here and your clothes are falling apart. I hope you like them."

"I do. But you didn't have ta' -"

"That's what makes it a gift. Besides, can't have you running around naked like that creepy Glob Herman." He smirked, "The girls would tear you apart. You'd be beatin' 'em off with a stick."

"He hasn't got a very big _stick_ to beat 'em with!" Lance and Ray began laughing wildly.

"Hey!" Todd blushed and shook his fist at them.

Tom face-palmed and shook his head. _Open mouth, insert foot._

"Tom, can I talk to you alone, yo? Without these stupid hyenas?"

As soon as said hyenas were ushered cackling into the hall, Todd hopped up into Tom's chair, "Thanks. I appreciate it. But . . ." He sighed, this was too much like begging for his taste, "The _other_ guys need stuff too, like Freddy."

"I've sent them things. And Wanda." He winked, "Don't worry Todd, I'm not tryin' to steal her from you."

"Are you tryin' to steal _me_ from _her_?" _Steal? __Hell, she'd probably deliver me to him in fancy box tied with a pink ribbon._

"No. If I was gay, you'd be top of the list, but I'm not."

Todd smiled sadly, "Top a' the list?" _My God, is this guy the only person in the world who thinks I'm not an ugly little troll?_

"You _are_ cute."

"What would you do if we went back to Magneto?"

"As long as you're alright and making your own decision. If Mystique tries to force you to come with her, or Scott tries to kick you out, I'll bite 'em." There was an edge to his mechanical voice. He really meant it, he'd fight for them.

"Why do you care, yo?"

Thomas didn't quite know how to answer that without insulting Todd. How do you tell someone he looks like a lost, hungry puppy? "I can't stand to see people go without. I saw how skinny you are. I saw you needed new clothes. I don't like that. Do you have any idea how much money my family has? I live in a mansion, my dad has _four_ of them and there are kids who live in the sewers. Or dumpsters. If they're lucky. This world is so screwed up, I . . . I just can't put it into words. I hate the fact that I have so much and so many other people don't have anything. And I'll be damned if I have a chance to help somebody and just leave 'em out in the cold."

"That's not your fault. There's always been things like that. It's the way a' the world."

"The world's broken. I can't fix it, but I can do something. Even if it is small. Even if doesn't matter in the end. I have to do something, or I won't be able to look myself in the mirror again."

...

To be continued . . .

_Sapo - Toad_

Ambrose Salmons is an OC.

Vlad Tepes is the real-life tyrant who inspired the story _Dracula_. He was known as Vlad Dracul, _Dracul_ meaning 'Son of The Dragon (The Devil)'.

_Ravenloft_ is the D&amp;D Horror setting.


	17. Chapter 17

Snakehead

17

And then the whole world went to Hell.

It began with Magneto, of course. He'd hijacked every major television station on earth to deliver a not-so-subtle speech on mutant superiority and what would befall mankind if they did not 'cease their hostilities'. That was enough, but the _coup de grace_ was the video. The video he'd had recorded of William Stryker's slow, painful and horrific introduction to the world of mutantkind.

The response was, as he'd anticipated, swift and violent. Hate crimes increased a thousandfold, the vast majority of politicians, either fearing for their jobs or their species, began demanding the reboot of the sentinel project and The Superpowers Registration Act. Shaw and Pierce were happy to comply. Money was allocated to scientific research facilities searching for a 'cure' for mutations. Massive cities ground to a halt under violent protests.

Magneto was looking for an excuse, and humanity was only to happy to oblige.

The fact that his tiny Brotherhood was sheltering at Xavier's school was not lost on the furious masses, either. The fact that it was a 'mutant school' was enough for most people, but 'hiding' Magneto's 'accomplices' made them an even more tempting target. The entire school was on high alert, and even Kubark was nervous, not for himself, of course, but for his puny, weak little friends. He'd offered them all homes in the Shi'ar empire if earth 'didn't work out', and some were worried it might be necessary to leave their homeworld behind if they wanted to live.

Thomas Salmons was on the phone, trying to connect with his big brother and Tommy. If marrying a mutant had been dangerous before, it was near-suicide now. He didn't know what he would say, Xavier had offered to shelter them at the school, right in the center of the bullseye. The Hellfire Club would likely be safer, as Shaw wasn't stupid enough to send sentinels after himself, but Thomas just wanted to make sure they were okay. The X-Jet had been picking up family members for other students, like Kurt.

Finally, he got through.

"Rick! Are you and Tommy okay?"

"Yeah, just rattled. We're at The Club. Dad's here too, and he's pissed. If we didn't need the shelter, I think he'd tell Pierce and Shaw to shove their sentinels." He cursed Magneto in several colorful ways, "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. There's a crowd out at the gate, and we can't leave the building unless it's by jet or flying saucer." Kubark's vessel was not a saucer, of course, but he could still joke about it. "Law enforcement, too. They probably want The Brotherhood, but they aren't getting them without a fight. If they knew _who's_ children Pietro and Wanda are, they'd have broken down the gate already."

"Any sign of Magneto?"

"Not a one. Coward's hiding in his private asteroid, waiting for everything to come to a head so he can sweep in and do his Mutant Messiah bit. How he intends to defeat all of humanity is beyond me. He's such a deluded idiot he probably thinks he can beat them all single handed."

...

Charles Xavier's office,

"I don't know how long I can keep them at bay. The justice system has gone to Hell." Matt Murdock's voice was weary, "Everyone wants blood. It's like Mississippi in the Klan days, 'hang 'em 'cause they're muties'. I'd suggest you send help to The Morlocks. If they're discovered, they'll be slaughtered."

"They're already here. After the incident with the tainted soft drinks, certain groups learned of their existence. Before they didn't want to risk a battle in the sewers, but now . . ."

Murdoch cursed, "Nobodies' safe. Why did _he_ live when so many millions of good people died?" He paused, "I'm sorry, Charles, that was uncalled for."

Charles Xavier had known Magneto for many years, though they disagreed on personal philosophy, he'd once called him his friend. Erik had been a child at Auschwitz, that was where his innocence had been ripped away and replaced by hatred and madness. He aged far more slowly than most men once he'd hit adulthood, he was nearly a hundred years old now with the body of a man in his prime. He'd been blessed with a long life and cursed with a unspeakable childhood. And it was clear now that Charles had underestimated the depths of his insanity. If only Erik had let him help him . . .

"I understand. Thank you for all of your help, Mr. Murdock." His voice was suddenly old, tired, "It appears we shall have to fight this outside of legal channels."

"Good luck, Charles."

"And you, Matthew."

Charles shook his head, "You got your wish, Erik, you started a war. May God have mercy on your soul."

...

Ray and Thomas' room,

Ray sat beside Scaleface on his bed. She was tall, slender, beautiful and pissed. "I hope they nuke that son of a -"

"He'd probably deflect the missiles." Ray said wearily, "He's good at that sort of thing, and he doesn't care where they'd land. I figure he'd aim for Washington, to get the maximum amount of damage and outrage."

"Why can't he just be like us, and stay out of the way?" The Morlock asked bitterly.

"Because he wants to force people to accept mutants." Ray replied, "And he wants power. He's not like Varnae -"

"Who?"

"According to Thomas he's Lord of earth's vampires. Varnae is a guy who rules his people from behind the scenes, he's smart enough to know they need to stay hidden to survive. He doesn't show off. Magneto wants everyone to either worship or fear him. As horrible as it is to say this about a man who survived The Holocaust, he's a lot like Hitler. He wants to be out there giving speeches and making stupid poses for the adoring crowds."

"If I get my claws on him, he'll be makin' speeches to The Devil."

Ray laughed uneasily, "I don't doubt it."

There was a tentative knock at the door. Ray recognized it at once.

"Don't come in Tom, we're in bed!"

Scaleface slapped him.

"What, it's true." He said innocently, rubbing his stinging face.

"It's okay, we're not doing anything."

Thomas eased the door open and stepped inside. He nodded politely to Scaleface. He'd seen her other form, a moderate sized green-skinned dragon, when she arrived. "I got hold of Rick, he and Tommy are safe."

"Thank God for that. Your dad?"

"He's there too. As long as he doesn't get it into his head to throttle Shaw he should be okay."

"Shaw? Sebastian Shaw?" Scaleface fairly spat put the name.

"The same. My family is taking refuge at The Hellfire Club."

"It's amazing how close the sons of a multi-millionaire have gotten to The Morlocks."

"Not as close as poor Jamie, he ran right into Tar Baby." He smiled, but there wasn't much joy in it. He didn't correct Scaleface with the fact that his father was a _billionaire_, as it didn't make him feel any better. In fact, it made him fell worse. "Callisto said something about a crowbar before Quentin pulled them apart telepathically."

Tar Baby was one of those mutants who really couldn't function in normal society. As his somewhat inappropriate nickname suggested, his body constantly secreted a thick tar-like substance that stuck to everything he touched. He couldn't pick up a pen or a piece of paper without it becoming stuck to his body. He was practically covered in litter, old newspapers, leaves, cigarette butts . . . It was especially hard because he was a very friendly person, for a Morlock. He couldn't touch anyone, not even briefly. A handshake. A hug . . . A kiss on the lips could prove fatal to both parties. He had no where to go, other than The Morlocks. And now his home had been taken away from him, from all of them. Thomas cursed Magneto vehemently to The Nine Hells, along with every other bigot, mutant or human.

_May Ammit feast upon your wretched hearts you sick bastards!_

"Have you met Bliss yet?" Ray's voice brought him back to reality.

"Not yet."

"I'll have to introduce you, assuming we live long enough." Ray stood up, "Might as well do it now, then." He offered his hand to Scaleface. who ignored it and got up herself. She was still sore at him, even after all this time.

As they were walking down the hall Jamie passed them, half of his body coated with a sticky black adhesive and most of his shirt ripped away. Nobody made a comment on it.

They found Bliss in the library, thumbing through a book on birds. She was tall and thin, with long black hair and deep black eyes. She looked up at the trio, "It looks like you were right, Ray." She said bitterly, "They did come to us after all."

"I wish I'd been wrong."

"So do I."

"I wanted to introduce you to my roommate, Thomas Salmons. His powers are similar to yours."

Bliss arched a slender brow, "There's someone else with this?" Her jaw distended and a red, ropy tentacle emerged from her mouth. A small head with bright red eyes and a fanged mouth grinned unpleasantly at him.

"Not quite." Thomas said, "You can still speak." His jaw distended as well, and the serpent slithered out, hovering warily in the air, regarding the other tongue creature with yellow eyes.

"Impressive. Is it venomous?" She could speak quite clearly even with her jaw distended and her tongue twisting about.

"Deadly. Fortunately, there's an anti-venom. Your's?"

"Soporific. Anesthetic, it puts people to sleep."

"You're lucky. You can speak, and you can use your powers without killing people."

"I've never had anyone say that I was lucky to have a tongue like this." She retracted her tongue and looked at him curiously, "You're totally mute?"

"Yes. There's more, too. Look closely, there are two openings in my throat, that's how I breath. I get winded easily, but I can breath on my own. The rest is totally dependent upon Junior here. Eating, drinking . . ."

"What about vomiting?"

Thomas retracted his tongue and grimaced, "It's ugly. Very ugly."

Todd sat at a table nearby, occasionally stealing a peek out the window. He'd seen the two comparing tongues, and it was awesome, but it wasn't his place to intrude. Not that it had ever stopped him before. He thought of the angry crowd outside, so close, and wondered if Thomas would need to actually use that deadly bite of his. He wasn't a violent person, but when someone's in danger, they use whatever they've got.

...

The medical wing,

William Stryker had not seen the broadcast, but he'd heard the 'doctors' speaking about it. His mind was a haze of rage and humiliation, Magneto had captured the moment of his ultimate disgrace and broadcast it to the world. He calmed himself somewhat with the realization that he was now a martyr, a living, hideous example of the true nature of the mutant threat. He could sense the blue demon and the giant head-monster were nervous, which pleased him even more.

They should be afraid. The Day of Judgement was coming. Divine Wrath. Though he couldn't work his twisted jaws, he smiled inwardly.

...

Throughout the school, everyone was feeling the tension, Kyle and Victor got into an argument over Northstar of all things. Kyle, knowing Northstar personally, had rather crudely referred to his infamous arrogance and self-righteousness, unaware or uncaring of the fact that Anole idolized the man and actually had a crush on him. Kyle had told the angry boy that he'd be better off not pining over someone who would probably end up marrying a mirror. Kyle had to hold back, he was a deadly fighter, Anole was little more than an angry kid with green scales. Wolverine separated them before any blood was shed and forced Kyle to apologize, even though he agreed with him about Northstar's personality.

Lance and Scott were sporadically hurling insults at one another. Wanda and Pietro seemed to be huddling together for mutual comfort and support, after all, it was their father who'd left them, and the rest of mutantkind, in mortal danger. Jean Grey was trying to comfort them, but Wanda's surly attitude wasn't helping. Fred was eating, he ate when he was nervous, and X-23 wanted nothing more than to waltz out the door and slaughter the idiots threatening the school, a view shared by a number of students and Morlocks.

Todd wanted to be somewhere else. Like another planet, where people didn't care what you looked like. If Kubark did make good on his offer, he would be one of the first to hop onto the ship. He was tired of the hate and the fear, of the constant struggle to survive. He just kept out of the way and watched everybody else try to deal with the situation. It had become abundantly clear to him that, whatever his ideals, Magneto was nuts. He wasn't just crazy, he was full-blown bat-* _loco_. He'd definitely been working for the wrong guy. Not that he agreed with Xavier, but he knew what Magneto had done was beyond anything he could ever justify. He wondered how intelligent people like Mystique and Gambit could go along with something like this. Out of all the Acolytes, he could only picture that little maniac Pyro agreeing to turn the world utterly against mutants, because he was certifiable and probably couldn't tell right from wrong. St. John Allerdyce was the kind of kid who'd burn a house down and be so fascinated by the flames he'd forget to leave and get burned to a crisp. And that was pretty much what Magneto had done, he was burning the house down, with his own kids trapped inside. The thought of that, especially of his abandonment of Wanda (again) made him want to kick the creep in the head until he stopped twitching and his shoes were really, really bloody.

...

To be continued . . .

Tar Baby is a canon character, I didn't invent him or name him.

Bliss is also canon.

If you've ever read _Alpha Flight_, then you'll know what an arrogant dick Northstar is.


	18. Chapter 18

Snakehead

18

A large raven glided over the angry crowds and into the mansion grounds. Before she'd even landed at the doorstep to the mansion The X-Men knew who and what they were dealing with. Wolverine stood before her, claws out, as Raven Darkholme transformed back into a beautiful blue-skinned woman.

"You have ten seconds to tell me why I shouldn't go to claw city on your scaly hide."

"I want to see Kurt."

"Ain't it a little late for motherly affections, Mystique?"

"He's my son."

"You gave him up when you dumped him in the river."

Mystique was an excellent actress, but being sincere was another matter entirely. She decided to swallow her pride, "I want to know he's safe."

"Nobody on earth is safe, thanks to that idiot you work for." Logan growled, "And I doubt he'd wanna' see you."

"You underestimate Kurt."

"Let her in, Wolverine." Charles Xavier had appeared silently behind the feral mutant. He growled and threatened her with his claws, but stepped aside. "Just Kurt, leave The Brotherhood be."

"I'm not here for Magneto. After seeing how little he cares about his children, I began to realize just how . . . _Horrible_ I've been as a mother."

"You'll get no argument from me, Lady." Logan said coldly. He had absolutely no sympathy for Mystique, and if she was feeling guilty, well, she only had herself to blame.

The school was filled with mutants, many of whom she didn't recognize. Probably locals who'd taken shelter here after Magneto's announcement. Most were looking at her as viciously as the mob outside would have. She was, in part, responsible for this, after all.

She decided it would be best to talk to Kurt alone. Escorted by a silent Xavier she headed down the hall in the boy's wing, only to be confronted by thin, brown haired boy with a metal collar around his neck.

Snakehead.

"Thomas, this isn't what you think –" Xavier began.

Thomas hissed and his tongue shot out, stopping dangerously close to the woman's face, "They're not going back with you. Even if I have to kill you." The serpent's tongue flicked her face.

Mystique could see that the killer intent in this little viper. He was far more dangerous than she'd expected. Still, she didn't have time for this foolishness. She transformed into a tall, red-skinned demon, he didn't budge.

He had balls, she'd give him that.

"Stop this this instant! She's not here for The Brotherhood."

"You really believe that?" His metallic voice fairly shrieked, "She wouldn't know the truth if it bit her!"

She remembered something from her research on the Salmons family. She transformed again. Suddenly a ten-foot tall, obscenely bloated creature squatted in the hallway before him. It looked like a horrid mixture of pink, hairless bat, toad and human. It's pointed ears were stretched to its flabby chest by bone weights, fangs gleamed in its wide maw. Scarlet eyes regarded him angrily and overlong arms reached threateningly for him. Thomas' eyes widened in shock.

_Varnae!_

He took a few steps back, but still didn't back down. It wasn't _really_ Varnae, it was Mystique . . . Right? Suddenly he felt his tongue being pulled back into his mouth. His feet turned against his will and he began to walk away. Back to his room.

He cursed Xavier in his mind.

"Ah, the infamous Varnae. How did you know?"

Mystique assumed her natural form. "Know your enemy, I researched Thomas Salmons thoroughly when he first joined your school. I'm no stranger to The Dark Arts, I've seen several depictions of The Lord of The Vampires. "

"So has he, apparently." He frowned, "He was only trying to protect his new friends."

"As I said, I'm here to see Kurt. Magneto has no further interest in The Brotherhood" There was a hint of disdain in her voice, not for The Brotherhood, but the man who'd abandon his own children so heartlessly.

...

Kurt Wagner was in his room, waiting. He knew his birth mother had come to the school, Xavier had telepathically informed him. What he wondered was _why_?

And what could he say? What _should_ he say?

The knock came, and Kurt opened the door,

"Mother?" That was more than she'd hoped for.

"Kurt."

"Well, I had best have a chat with young Mr. Salmons." Xavier excused himself, leaving mother and son.

"Are you still with him?"

"It's too late, Kurt." She shook her head sadly "He's let the genie out of the bottle. The war has started, and we can't go back."

"You helped him."

"..." She couldn't think of anything to say. It was true, of course, she'd helped Magneto in his scheme, it was too late now to go back and stop herself and pointless to wish she had. "I thought I was doing what was best for all mutants, including you. I didn't realize how badly -"

"You should have!" The fuzzy blue boy fairly snarled. It was unlike him to be so aggressive, and that angered him more, "Are you such an idiot that you didn't see this coming?"

"No." There was no point in denying it. She'd considered the risks and decided that they were worth taking. Now it was too late to back out, and if she did, if she stayed with Kurt, she'd be putting him in far worse danger than any he had faced before. "Kurt. I do love you. I wish . . . I wish I had been there for you. Now I can't. I'm one of the world's most wanted terrorists. Your life would be in constant danger." She felt something cool sliding down her cheeks, "If you hate me, I don't blame you. Just, remember, please, no matter what else I've done or will do, that I do love you."

He turned, tears in his shining eyes, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too."

...

Ray and Thomas' room,

Thomas sat seething in his bed. Xavier had _taken over_ his body! The fact that Mystique could have ripped him to shreds was secondary considering the abject terror of having your body respond to commands that were not your own. To be so totally helpless . . .

"Thomas, I think we need to have a talk."

Thomas hissed angrily. Xavier didn't bat an eyelash.

"I felt your mind. I know that you fully intended to kill Mystique if she tried to take The Brotherhood." His voice was calm, measured, with a hint of disappointment. "To take a life is something that can never be undone. It would change you forever, possibly destroy you."

"I can't let her abuse Todd and the others any more."

He sighed, this was going to be difficult. "If you killed Mystique, where would it stop? Magneto? Duncan? Senator Kelly? Someone on the street who insults you? Who else do you think 'deserves' to die? Once you cross that boundary, that point of no return, you . . ." He frowned, "If you start killing everyone who might be a threat to you and your friends . . . That's the way _Magneto_ thinks."

That was true, but logic and emotion rarely go well together. Thomas didn't want to kill anyone, or even hurt them. Sometimes he wanted to punch Quentin in the face, but to actually _kill_ someone?

"I know you're under a great deal of stress. We all are, because of Magneto's madness, but we have to keep ourselves together. To hold true to our values, to ourselves. If we lose who we are, then our enemies have already won."

He moved to leave, then turned slightly, "There is one other factor to consider. Mystique is Kurt's biological mother, and you know how it feels to lose your mother. You surely don't want Kurt to suffer like that, do you?"

Thomas gasped in horror, "She's Kurt's mom? I nearly killed Kurt's mother . . ."

"You're stressed and you're frightened. You were trying to protect people you care about. But almost everyone has someone who loves them, someone who would mourn their loss. We, The X-Men, will protect Todd and the others if necessary, but not like that. Not by killing. The burden is not yours to shoulder, at least, not alone. We're behind you, and them. Never forget that."

...

Pietro and Wanda's room,

The Brotherhood was holding an emergency meeting to deal with Mystique's sudden arrival.

"I'm not goin' back, yo. Magneto's cra-" He stopped himself, Wanda and Pietro had suffered enough.

"Crazy." Wanda finished the sentence for him, "Stark raving mad." Her voice was distant, "It's over. I wash my hands of him. I don't care what Mystique does."

Pietro looked at his sister with a mixture of shock and grief.

"I'm out, too. All he's done is make things worse." Lance said. "He's totally lost it."

"W-wait a minute! We don't even know what his plan is!" Pietro was grasping desperately at straws, "He may have a way to stop this!" Even as he said it, he felt like a fool. Magneto couldn't stop this insanity.

"How? By nukin' everybody?" Toad pointed to the window, "Is he gonna' make all the jerk-wads out there stop hating us?"

"Toad's right." Freddy chimed in. "Magneto never did anything for us, except cause us problems. He doesn't want to save mutants, he wants to rule us all."

Pietro was too emotionally numbed to challenge that statement.

"Yeah." He said, finally. Softly. "This is the end of The Brotherhood, isn't it?"

"No. We still need each other, yo. We're still a team, just under new management." Toad grinned, "Besides, if we break up, who's gonna' hassle the X-Geeks?"

"Oh, shut up, Toad." Avalanche slapped him on the back of the head, but there was no force to it. "But he's right. We've gotta' look out for each other. We're still brothers," He looked at Wanda, "And sister. _Family_. We stay together, no matter what happens.

"Todd," Pietro said, and God, he sounded so tired, "You said Snakehead threatened to kill Mystique if she came to take us back. Well, he tried."

All of the blood drained from Todd's face and the whole group gasped, almost in unison.

"I saw him standing there in the hallway, trying to bite her. He said she couldn't have us back. He didn't back down, even when she turned into some pretty ugly monsters. Xavier called one of them 'Varnae'. A big, fat, ugly toad-bat thing. He looked scared, but he still didn't back down. Xavier had to force him to leave with his telepathy."

"Kid's nuts." Lance said, half in disbelief, half in admiration. No one in The Brotherhood was crazy enough to stand up to Mystique, not even Wanda.

...

Ray and Thomas' room,

Thomas thumbed through his copy of _Vampyres_ a reproduction of a very old book written by some medieval monk. It had been in the family for quite some time, even before Ambrose' disastrous encounter with The Lord of The Vampires, at the very least. He turned to the page depicting Varnae. _How the Hell did she know what you looked like? And how the Hell did she know I knew about you?_

He nearly jumped as Ray entered the room. Ray looked nearly as surprised, "What the Hell is this about you trying to kill Mystique?"

He shrugged, "I know, X-Men don't kill . . . Unless they're fighting The Brood. Or Badoon. Or Skrulls."

"How can you be so . . ."

"Smug? Dispassionate?"

"Dispassionate about does it."

"When I let myself get worked up, I try to kill people, apparently. So I take it as I go. I was going to commit murder. I was going to murder Kurt's mother, which I didn't know, by the way. I'm . . . I don't know how to describe it."

Ray ran a hand through his hair, "Scared as Hell?"

Thomas nodded in assent.

"We all are. Did you hear about Kyle and Victor? Between us, The Morlocks and The Brotherhood, this place is one giant disaster waiting to happen. And that's without the idiots outside." He sat down beside Thomas, "I've been tempted to take a few guys out myself." He laughed and threw an arm around Thomas' shoulder, "I think everybody loses it sometimes. God knows I do." Ray paused, "Listen, I know you're worried about your family, and about us. But we have a lot of help, we have each other and we can defend ourselves. I know you'd fight beside us if need be, but right now you don't have to. Hopefully you won't, things have been bad before, and maybe people will see how crazy all of this is. Not everybody agrees with Stryker and the others. The good, reasonable people may win out yet."

_God_, he thought, _I sound just like Xavier_.

"It would go a long way towards that goal if Magneto were brought to justice."

"I think the Professor is already working on a way to stop him." He smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry about it. Things will work out."

Thomas smiled despite himself. "Thanks, Ray."

Neither boy truly believed it would be that easy, but each cared enough about the other to stay positive.

...

To be continued . . .


	19. Chapter 19

Snakehead

19

Richard Salmons sat in the small room, looking over his personal weapons. He had some pretty heavy firepower, not enough to take out a lynch mob, but maybe enough to scare one off. He reminded himself that he had access to The Club's armory, where the _really_ heavy stuff was stored. You could outfit an army with the contents of the armory, and considering the number of mercs they employed, they pretty much had. He hoped that Xavier had formidable safeguards as well, despite the man's philosophy of peaceful coexistence.

If Thomas or Tommy were harmed, he'd take Shaw out himself. He didn't know what kind of weapon could harm a creature like Pierce, but he'd find it, or die trying.

He was a trained soldier, he wasn't going down without a fight. And he wasn't going down _alone_, either.

...

The Inner Circle Of The Hellfire Club,

"Don't think you'll escape." Emma Frost brought a glass of dark red wine to her ruby lips, "They'll find you out, too, eventually."

Sebastian Shaw frowned at The White Queen, "I have the ultimate say -"

"Over _nothing_." Selene interrupted, "You have created the weapon to destroy mutantkind." She smiled thinly. Being both immortal and utterly evil, she had no concern or loyalty towards anyone. She walked over and stroked a small pendant Shaw wore, "_This_ is all that stands between you and your sentinels. Brilliant." She gave a cold, mocking laugh.

"This is Magneto's doing, not mine! If not for that fool, they would not be rushing sentinels into production!"

"You mean _you_ and _Pierce_ would not be rushing sentinels into production." Harry Leland, Black Bishop of The Hellfire Club, was quite drunk and loose tongued. "We should never have allowed Pierce in." He stared into his empty glass, then motioned a servant to bring more gin.

"I am a government contractor. The government requested those sentinels, the fact that Shaw Industries won the contract is simple business, nothing more." Shaw was becoming angry, and he was not a man given to self-control. He paced back and forth, feeling like a man trapped in a pit of lions. Everyone of importance in the room was a mutant, and, at the moment, all of them were directing their hostility towards him. It was simple business, supply and demand, nothing more. Had he not provided them with the pendants that would provide protection from the sentinels?

"I say we deal with Pierce. Totally and finally." Friedrich Von Roehm was not a man of much independent thought, for centuries his family had been genetically manipulated and bred by Selene as her personal hounds, but he did have a mind, "Pierce has always hated us, and you most of all, Sebastian. He should die."

Shaw hated Pierce almost as much as Pierce hated him. They'd allowed the man into The Inner Circle due to his family's traditional seat within The Club and obscene wealth, not out of fondness. Shaw had been able to manipulate and control the cyborg, or so he had believed. The man had shown disturbing signs of late of becoming a liability. Still, he would not be ordered into killing Pierce by some simpering cur of a jeweler. "Shut up, Von Roehm! I take orders from no one, certainly not lap dogs like you!"

Von Roehm snarled, his eyes began to glow, his teeth became fangs and his nails claws. Selene waved a slender hand, and he fell back, once again a portly, well-dressed businessman. "If I _want_ you to fight Friedrich, I'll _tell_ you." Selene fingered the thin black whip she carried with her, "I too am weary of Donald Pierce. If you are unwilling, or unable, to deal with him Sebastian, then I shall."

"We have more important things to worry about than Donald Pierce." Emma stood and pushed back her snow-hued hair, "We have Magneto, for one. And, of course," She shot a disdainful look at Shaw, "An army of sentinels being produced. Mark my words, Sebastian, if any of the children at The Hellfire Academy are harmed, I will personally flay you alive."

Shaw cursed vehemently, his face red with rage, "Silence! All of you!" He knew it was unwise to anger Selene, as he'd then have to deal with both the undying sorceress and her fanatical, lycanthropic high priest, but he was furious. "_I_ lead The Inner Circle!"

"Perhaps it's time we appointed a new leader." Selene's voice held a soft malice.

The White Queen glared at The Black Queen. Emma knew enough about Selene to hate her intensely, and she had no desire to allow the hag such authority.

Shaw's face paled and his eyes twitched. He hadn't considered open rebellion, at least, not from Selene. Pierce, maybe, but Selene? There was no way he could stop her if she chose to make a power play, not without considerable support. He quickly recovered, openly, at least. "That will not be necessary," He spoke with enforced calmness, "We can salvage this situation and make a considerable profit."

"What do you intend to do, Shaw?" Leland laughed, "Capture Magneto?"

Shaw smiled, "Yes. Yes, that's exactly what I plan to do."

...

Asteroid M,

"She still has not returned?"

"Mystique is a strange lady. She do what she want, ya know?" Gambit shrugged, "Dat kid a' her's. She's scared. I don' blame her."

Magneto turned and frowned at the Cajun.

"You ain't exactly been makin' life easy for dem."

"I did not ask your opinion, Mr. LeBeau." He snapped. "Is she coming back?"

"How should I know?"

Magneto glared at his subordinate's rudeness, "Tonight Senator Kelly is giving the speech to announce his candidacy for president. I could use Mystique's support."

"Why not jus' drop a battleship on 'im?"

"I wish to address the masses personally."

"Ya' ever stop ta' consider you might be takin' dis ting a bit too far?"

"I know what I am doing. Extreme actions are the only things humans understand."

...

The medical wing of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters,

William Stryker didn't need the blaring machines or panicked freaks to understand that he was dying. His breath was coming in short gasps and his heart was racing, ready to explode. He was not afraid, he was grateful. Grateful that God had finally decided to free him from this unholy flesh and receive him into His arms.

"Don't worry, Reverend, I'm right here." A smooth, somehow oily voice said.

Stryker raised his eyes and they widened in horror at the sight before them. A figure was leaning casually against the wall, arms akimbo, smiling at him. He was tall and slender, but well-muscled, with wild red hair, pointed ears and burning white eyes. His crimson skin was almost bare save for a loincloth and a flowing red cape.

"No . . ."

The figure gave a predatory grin, revealing sharp fangs, "I always love this part. They actually expect to see _God_." He laughed maniacally, but the freaks didn't acknowledge him. They couldn't see him. They couldn't help. "I also love it when they think they're doing _H__is_ will. "

"No! I am a servant of God!"

"Which one?" Mephisto examined his claws absently, "There are so many . . . Unfortunately for you, The One you claim to follow is full is love and mercy and really doesn't appreciate people spreading hatred in His name. So, He has no place for you in His kingdom." He shrugged, "He doesn't like me very much, but I'm a 'necessary evil.'" He chuckled, "Lucky me."

"I'm sure you'll like the company; I've got Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Bin Laden . . . All the wonderful bigots and self-righteous fools. I've got sinners going all the way back to Cain. I have Popes, priests, conquistadors, Crusaders and suicide bombers and so many, many more who thought they were doing _His_ will while they were actually doing _mine_." He paused thoughtfully, "It's an impressive collection, if I do say so myself."

"Go away! I reject you!" Stryker screamed silently, "I have done nothing wrong!"

"_Nothing Wrong_?" He gave an ugly smirk and shook a talon reprovingly in Stryker's face, "Aside from murdering your wife and child because she bore you a mutant and he was born mutant? Aside from from spreading hatred and fear, ignoring your own professed God to lead to the persecution of your fellow man? Aside from all of the violence and death you've caused through your loud mouth and twisting of scriptures? You've done _my_ work quite well, my dear William. It's time to go to your 'reward.'"

Mephisto languidly pushed himself from the wall and strode over to Stryker, walking straight through the furry 'doctor' with a clearly unnerving effect on the mutant. The demon stretched out a hand toward the hideous mutate that lay before him and Stryker felt cold claws grasp him, "Don't worry, William." His voice had a soothing mockery, "Magneto will join you soon enough." Stryker felt his soul wrenched violently from his tortured body, torn away from its mortal core, "You two can compare notes later."

Mephisto took the screaming soul in his claws and returned to the warmth and familiarity of Hell.

...

"I'm sorry Charles, there was nothing we could do." Hank's voice was unusually rattled, and his blue fur was standing on end. "I felt something Charles, something _evil_."

"I know." Charles Xavier said quietly, "I felt it too. Something unspeakably malevolent was here. I think . . . As insane as this sounds, I think _The Devil _himself came to claim him."

...

To be continued . . .

Friedrich Von Roehm is a jeweler by trade.

Emma Frost owns Frost Technologies and is headmistress of The Hellfire Academy.

Harry Leland is a corporate lawyer and Black Bishop of The Hellfire Club.

Selene is a sorceress and immortal mutant soul-sucking vampire thingy. She's _much_ older than Apocalypse, having been around in Conan's time, if not long before that.

Mephisto - No explanation needed.


	20. Chapter 20

Snakehead

20

"Move out of the way, Xavier."

Charles Xavier sat before the front door, blocking the angry mutants who wanted to get outside and fight. They were mainly Morlocks and a few of his own students, like Evan, Kyle, Herman and X-23. Surprisingly, none of The Brotherhood had joined the angry little mob.

"There's no reason for this, Callisto." His voice was calm and even.

"No reason!" The one-eyed woman growled, "They drove us from our homes! And right now they're just waiting out there to kill us!"

"Which is why I can't let you go out." Xavier said firmly, "There are too many of them. You would be killed."

X-23 unsheathed her claws, "We will _not_ die alone."

"I cannot allow-"

"I take orders from no one!" Callisto replied. "I am not one of your students, Xavier! I am a Morlock, I lead The Morlocks, not you."

"You'll do what your told. No sense in gettin' yourselves killed." Everyone turned to see Wolverine standing behind them, claws extended, scowling, "Right now they're just makin' asses of themselves. If you go out there and start slicin' an' dicin' you'll only make it worse. We wait. If they come in, _then_ we kill 'em."

Callisto glared at the short, fierce Canadian. She was not easily intimidated. She'd spent her whole life on the streets, fighting for survival. Life had made her hard, and bitter. She couldn't just roll over for scum like the mob outside, not if she was going to survive. "So your plan is sit here and wait until they come to kill us?"

"Yup. That pretty much sums it up. Think about it. You hotheads go out there and attack that crowd, you'll be doin' the same thing Magneto did. Fannin' the flames. You'll turn even more people against us. Not just us, but every mutant on the planet." He met the tall woman's gaze, "We can swallow our pride and wait and see, or rush out into the firing line and die like idiots. You're a grown woman, normally I'd let ya' do what ya' want, but this effects all of us. I'm not gonna' risk the lives of every kid in this school so that you can go out in a blaze of frickin' glory."

Callisto gave a small smile, he was right, of course. If they went out and got killed, who'd be there to protect the ones who couldn't fight, who couldn't defend themselves? "Alright. Morlocks, stand down. We try it Shorty's way, for now." He eyes narrowed, "But the first human jumps that fence . . ."

The group moved away from the door, grumbling.

"Thank you, Logan."

"Don't thank me yet, Charlie. It ain't over till the fat lady sings. We're all getting' restless, and once they find out about Stryker . . ."

...

Ray and Tom's room,

Thomas watched a well-dressed man standing on a small platform above the mob, shouting hateful slogans. It was the guy they'd replaced Stryker with. Thomas had no idea of his name so he just called him _Happy Noodle Boy_ after the ranting, lunatic stick-figure from the comics. "I wish he'd shut up."

The school was sound-proofed while on lock-down, but one didn't need to hear the fool to see what he was doing.

"Don't they have anything better to do?" Ray asked, "The world is still turning, ain't it? Don't they have to work or anything?"

Thomas shrugged and closed the curtain, "Probably a holiday. Be Cruel To Mutants Day. Or maybe KKK Day. Who the Hell knows?"

Ray fell back into his bed and sighed dramatically, "They're probably takin' shifts. I take it they didn't attack?" Ray had been tempted to join the vengeful group who wanted to attack their tormentors, but ultimately decided it was a bad idea.

"No. I guess Xavier was able to talk them out of it."

Ray was almost sorry to hear that. He wanted to lay a major hurting on those fools outside, but he didn't want to deal with the obvious consequences. "Maybe it will rain an' run 'em off."

"Maybe we should ask Storm for a little help in that regard." Thomas smiled.

Ray grinned evilly, "Yeah, maybe we can get her to whip us up a _sharknado_."

"That'd be cruel to the sharks." Tom was grinning now, "We don't need PETA on our backs."

He turned at a knock on the door.

"Yo! It's me, Toad!"

"Come on in, it's not locked."

Todd hopped into the room and slouched into Tom's chair, "Hey, bro's."

"What's up?" Ray asked.

"Everybody's gone nuts. Callisto and a bunch a' others tried to go out and fight. Wolvie had to step in an' stop 'em." He looked at Thomas, "I heard 'bout you and Mystique . . . Thanks. Nobody's ever stood up for us like that. We've only ever had each other." He was, in truth, touched by the gesture, "But that's not . . . I mean. I don' like Mystique much, but I don' want her _dead_, yo."

Thomas smiled sadly, "Yes. I went a bit 'nuts'. I know that now. The stress is killing us all. Sitting here like caged rabbits with wolves sniffing at the bars."

"I know. I'm ready to jump the first space ship offa' earth." He shrugged, "But, I wanted to tell ya', we ain't with Magneto no more, yo. None of us. We're through." He frowned, "That don' mean we agree with Xavier's goody-goody bull, it's just we don't wanna' work for a psycho no more."

Todd was still for a moment, as if considering. Then he did something totally out of character. We walked over to Thomas and hugged him tight, "Thanks , Dawg. I mean it. We all appreciate it." He released Tom and smiled, "As far as we're concerned, you can hang with us anytime."

"I-I was just trying to help."

Ray's brow rose, and he shook his head. "It's the stress, it's gotta' be. Either you're crackin' or I am."

Todd turned to Ray, "You're cool too, yo."

"If you try to hug me, it will be the last mistake you ever make."

"Yer' breakin' my heart." Todd gave a smug grin, "You know I sneak in here when you're gone and roll around naked on your bed."

"I"LL KILL YOU!"

Toad was already out of sight by the time Ray reached the door. Tom fell onto his bed laughing.

...

To be continued . . .

Todd was, of course, joking. He merely jumps up and down on Ray's bed. ; )-

_Happy Noodle Boy_ was created by Jhonen Vasquez for _Johnny the Homicidal Maniac_.


	21. Chapter 21

Snakehead

21

The tall, gaunt man, deathly pale with flowing white hair, dressed in antiquated finery and wearing incongruous black sunglasses stood before The Inner Circle.

Part of it, anyway.

Donald Pierce was not present, nor did he see Selene or Von Roehm. Emma Frost looked a bit disgusted, but as it was directed toward Shaw and not himself he ignored this. Harry Leland was half-asleep and smelled of gin and vodka. Mr. Shaw, however, was all too alert.

"You were once a Nazi soldier?" It was more a statement than a question.

He didn't really want to answer that, but had no choice. "Aye. I was in _Die Wehrmacht_ on the front-lines. I had naught to do with the _camps_ . . . I was but seeking my death on the field of war. Patch near gutted me at Normandy in 1944, and I was out of sorts for some time after. By then, the war had, mercifully, ended. "

"Patch?" Leland asked.

"Aye, that be what Logan called himself when our paths did cross again in Madripoor. Twas then I knew him for an immortal.

"Do you still have the uniform?"

"Nay. I burnt it at war's end. Twas' a period I'd sooner forget." Even a monster like Bloodscream had _some_ decency left. It was war, and he'd joined to fight and find the man who could end his unholy existence. Unfortunately, he'd joined an army led by a monster who made him look the soul of Charity itself. He'd tried to put that behind him, but it would likely follow him forever.

"No matter, another can easily be acquired."

"If it not be too much, Master Shaw, why dost thou wish to drape me in Nazi raiment?"

"Psychological warfare, Bloodscream." Sebastian Shaw smiled, "Magneto was a prisoner in Auschwitz, the sight of a genuine Nazi officer should unnerve him, at least for a time."

"A scant time, before he doth rip out my innards and shove them down my throat. I may be immortal, but I still yet feel the pangs of the flesh." The vampire replied.

"I thought you _wanted_ to die."

"I doth seek to die, but to die as a _man_. A formulae can end my curse, but it doth require that which be most hard to find. The blood of a man who ageth not."

"What of the blood of a _woman_ who ageth not?"

Slender talons stroked a pale, thin chin, "Perhaps. . . You bespeak of the Lady Selene? Surely she be not so generous, and I am but a humble soldier of fortune. She be too powerful to overcome."

"And if she gave _willingly_ of her blood?"

Bloodscream didn't trust _anyone_ outside of Roughouse, but he had to be careful in dealing with the likes of Shaw. There were fates even worse than that he now suffered. "And why, pray tell, should she grant me this boon?"

He was smart, this one.

"Because the target is well-worth the price."

Bloodscream chuckled softly. "Blood for blood? Aye, that be fittin' pay for one such a my'self." He licked his lips with his long tongue.

"I want you to go in disguise, wearing a coat to cover the uniform, to Senator Kelly's speech."

"Pardon, M'Lord, but was not the gentleman speaking _last_ night?"

"It was postponed due to security issues. It will be tomorrow night, in Washington, on the steps of The Capitol Building. Magneto will undoubtedly appear, he can't resist that many cameras. You throw off your coat and distract him. As he attacks you, I, Selene and our mercenaries will attack _him_. If luck is with us, we will kill Magneto on live television in full view of the next president of the United States."

"Security 'tis too tight. Heavy coats breed suspicion, and a _Nazi_ uniform shalt doubtless set me betwixt The Devil and The Deep Blue." His red eyes narrowed behind his shades, "And I hath no surety that The Lady will gift me with her curative blood."

"You have _my word_." Selene stepped from the shadows, and Bloodscream bowed respectfully. "Is that not enough?"

Bloodscream was not so stupid as to answer that particular question honestly.

"A most merciful proposition, M'Lady." Merciful and unbelievable. "But how shall I escape the masses?"

"The people at Kelly's speech will all be anti-mutant, some of them will likely be Neo-Nazi's. They will likely applaud you, if you do not show your monstrous form."

Bloodscream made a t'sking sound, "And _this_ form be not monstrous?"

"It is a sight better than having a lower jaw that extends to your ankles filled with teeth the size of daggers." Shaw remarked.

"True."

"I can have you fitted with a holo-projector. The crowds need never know what you actually look like. In fact, it could hide the uniform as well, until you're ready to reveal it to Magneto." He paused, "Will you take the assignment?"

"Have I a choice, M'Lord?"

Shaw did not answer.

"At your leave, might I not bring my comrade Roughouse on this merry jaunt?"

"If you wish. As long as you attract Magneto's attention and hold it."

Once Bloodscream had taken his leave, the bickering began again.

"That's low, even for you, Sebastian." Emma said scornfully. "Using his childhood suffering, using _The Holocaust_-" She was so angry she couldn't put it into words. "It's disgusting!"

"One does what one must. Magneto must be stopped." He smiled and touched her cheek. She pulled away, and he frowned. "All's fair in love and war, after all. What are our sanguinary friend's intentions, Emma?"

"He is unhappy. He's ashamed to put on that cursed uniform again, and he doesn't trust us. But he's so desperate to get his hands on an immortal's blood that he'll do almost anything you ask."

Shaw turned to Selene, "Will _you_ keep your word?"

The Black Queen laughed, "What's a little blood to me? Though it's a shame to lose such a fascinating creature. Humans are so boring." She smiled, revealing perfect white teeth, "I may keep our agreement, _if_ it amuses me."

"You'll keep your word, Selene." Emma snarled, "Or I'll drive your mind through a thresher."

"_Pity_ for such a fell creature? He hardly deserves it."

"I am a man of my word, Selene," Shaw interrupted, "A man is only as good as his word. I _will_ hold you to your promise."

"It might be interesting to see you two try to _force_ me to do anything." She slid her hands over the black leather whip, "Maybe if Magneto's life force sates me enough, I'll be in a generous mood."

With that she strode back into the shadows.

...

The Xavier Mansion,

Tom, Todd and Ray sat watching the television. Apparently _Frogs_ was one of Todd's favorite movies, and it was showing on a late horror show. Lance hadn't wanted to watch it (again) so Todd had hopped over to his other friends, who weren't acquainted with the B-movie classic.

At least it gave them the opportunity to dwell on something other than the angry mob outside.

"Man, those are some _big_ frogs." Ray remarked.

"They imported 'em from South America."

"This was shot in Florida?"

"Yep."

"Ever been there?"

"Nope."

"I have." Tom paused for a moment, "I actually toured _that_ house. It's like a historical museum of the 1800's. I can't quite remember the name of the place, though."

"The Wesley House. Eden Garden State Park." Todd said absently, "Hey, here comes the part where the frogs get in!"

Large frogs burst through the windows, crawling all over the rich furnishings and antique books (that made Thomas squirm, wet frogs on books!) as actor Ray Milland watched horrified and the trophy heads in his study began making their respective animal noises.

Then it was over.

Todd yawned and smiled, "Neat, huh?"

Ray just shrugged. It didn't really make much sense to him. Nature killing people. Some of them were jerks, some of them were good people.

"You really went there?" Todd asked Thomas.

"Yes. They actually sell _Frogs_ memorabilia in the gift shop."

Ray yawned and crawled into bed, he was tired.

"Ever see a movie called _Rana_?" Thomas asked.

"_Croaked:The Frog Monster From Hell_. Yeah, I've seen it, yo. The scene with the wriggling, severed claws -"

"Goodnight, Todd!" Ray said irritably.

"Sorry, Dawg. Good night." Todd left and Ray clicked off the TV, then the lights.

"Good night, Ray."

Thomas took off his vocal projector and set it on the nightstand. He walked to the window and drew back the curtains, just enough to see the burning cross outside the gate. He gave a mental sigh.

_Idiots._

...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

The Pierce estate,

"Yes senator. There's nothing to worry about." Donald Pierce sat in an easy chair, his ear to his phone, "Robert," He smiled, "You are our best hope for a President who will protect humanity from the mutant threat. If Magneto or any other mutant freak appears, my . . . _Agents_ will deal with them. Yuriko alone is worth an army." He paused for a moment, "No. I've made sure that the materials used in their creation were immune to that filth's magnetic powers." He frowned, "_Collateral damage_? That depends entirely upon Magneto. The Reavers were all programmed and trained by me, personally. Except for Yuriko, of course, and she's a honest-to-God Samurai, utterly dependable. Once she sets her sights on a task, only death will stop her." Another pause, "_Director of Mutant Affairs_? You're too generous. . ." He laughed, "Once you're elected President, _then_ we'll talk . . ."

...

To be continued . . .

Notes:

I hate Old English, but Bloodscream is from the 1500's and that's how he speaks. I don't mind it when people who actually live in or come from a time where Old English is spoken do so, I just can't stand people affecting it in the present day, especially in religious ritual. Hence, my poor grasp of the terminology.

While Bloodscream was a Nazi soldier, he was there searching for 'the man who ageth not' as immortals wishing to end their lives would likely go to war. He has no love of any country, not even his native Britain. He's a soldier of fortune, he's not in it for glory, patriotism or even money, he's in it for the blood. Literally.

That does not excuse him, of course. I just wanted to point out that he's not a follower of Hitler's ideals, he's a equal opportunity murderer.

In the comics, sometimes he wants to become human again, sometimes he wants to prolong his existence because he's afraid to die and fears the potion might wear off. As it includes bone of tiger (almost extinct now) and spleen of whale (always under attack), it may be impossible to acquire the needed items very soon. In my story he just wants to die as a man, not a monster.

_Frogs_ is a 1972 B-movie from MGM.

_Rana_ or _Croaked: The Frog Monster From Hell_ is a 1982 Troma pictures film that pretty much nobody besides myself liked.

I've been to Wesley House and Eden Garden State Park, Florida. It's very nice.


	22. Chapter 22

Snakehead

22

Ray had never seen Thomas so angry. He was pale and shaking, his hands firmly clenched at his sides.

"I can't believe anyone could be so . . ." The words didn't come.

"They've been cutting innocent people's heads off. Destroying priceless relics isn't . . ." He honestly didn't know what to say. Thomas was very keen on Archaeology and the sight of ISIS terrorists destroying ancient relics and bulldozing entire cities dating back thousands of years had hit something inside of him that even the cross burning morons outside couldn't reach.

Thomas just shook his head. If he had the ability at the moment, he'd strike every single one of those stupid bastards dead. "Filth. Nothing but ignorant, hypocritical, evil apostate filth."

"I hate it too. But we can't do anything about it." Ray said soothingly.

Thomas heard Xavier's voice in his mind. He was extremely concerned with his current state of mind and wanted to speak with him at once.

He'd have to wait.

Thomas picked up the miniature funereal barque and held it in his hands. He examined the tiny vessel, its cabin and oars. It was based upon the 'Sun Ship' found within the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, located at the foot of the Great Pyramid he himself had commissioned.

If those scum reach Egypt . . . He shuddered, imagining the cultural treasures of Egypt being shattered and burned by mindless fanatics. He set the barque down gently.

There was a knock at the door, and Ray answered, as Thomas seemed in no mood. It was Angelo, "Hey, homes! Have you looked out the window this fine _manana_?"

"No, why?"

"Their gone."

Thomas turned in shock, "Gone?"

Ray rushed to the window and pulled open the curtains. The street beyond the gate was deserted. No protesters. No Happy Noodle Boy. Not even any litter.

"How." Ray's voice was a whisper, "Is it a trick?"

"Quentin. He 'convinced' them to leave." Angelo grinned, "We can go outside again!" He frowned at Thomas' expression, "Yo, Tom. _Lo que esta mal_?"

"_Idiotas. Fanaticos_."

"_Que_?"

"He's mad as Hell about those terrorists in the Middle East destroying ancient artifacts." Ray whispered.

"Yeah, that's just_ loco_." He shrugged, "But at least the fools outside are gone."

Xavier's voice was becoming louder in his head.

"Why don't they make sentinels to hunt down trash like that?"

"We make easier targets."

"Xavier is calling me." Thomas sighed, "I have to go talk to him. Excuse me."

He walked quietly down the halls and down the stairs, past numerous mutants and non-humans, until he reached Xavier's office, and went in.

...

Charles Francis Xavier really didn't have time for this. He was well aware of the fact that The Hellfire Club was plotting an ambush against Magneto at Senator Kelly's speech. Both he and Miss. Frost had agreed that this would likely result in massive civilian casualties and the plan to deck Bloodscream out in Nazi gear to enrage Magneto was almost certain to break his already fragile psyche. Erik might level Washington trying to kill the pitiful, accursed creature.

If he'd known about Pierce's plan, he'd have been even more determined to stop the ambush.

As it was, he had one _very _volatile student to deal with. Mr. Salmons had his problems, and they seemed to increase as time went went by. He was frightened for the boy. Thomas had a good heart, but stress, fear and outside influences were driving him to the brink of madness.

He looked up as Thomas entered the room.

"Hello, Mr. Salmons."

"Professor." Thomas nodded distractedly.

"I'll get straight to the point, Thomas. I am just as horrified and disgusted by what is happening in the Middle East as you are. Many, many people are outraged at this attack on human history. But what is done is done. We cannot bring these treasures back, but we can preserve their memory." Xavier hated to be so blunt, but he had less than six hours to organize the X-Men against Magneto, The Hellfire Club and Senator Kelly's supporters. "We cannot allow hatred and rage to control us. I'm worried about you. I don't want to see you driven to . . ."

"_Madness_?"

The Professor sighed, "Yes."

"Nor do I."

"I'm sorry to have to be so blunt, Thomas. Something is going to happen, tonight, that will test The X-Men to the limit. Not _here_, there's no need to worry about the school, but in Washington."

"Senator Kelly?"

"Yes. The Hellfire Club is sending men to assassinate Magneto should he show up. Don't worry, Richard is _not_ among them. I believe that this could cause numerous civilian deaths." He shook his head, "I wish I could better help you deal with this newest crisis, but I have to devise a strategy for The X-Men to prevent as many deaths as possible."

Thomas was surprised, The Hellfire Club usually did not move so openly, "What if Magneto is a no-show?"

"Then, hopefully, nothing will happen. But I know Erik too well, having already ki-" He remembered that none of the students knew Stryker was dead, save Quentin, who didn't care, "Kidnapped Mr. Stryker, he will go after the next logical choice. The most important anti-mutant political figure on earth. I have no doubt that he will come."

"Stryker's _dead_, isn't he?"

Xavier shifted uncomfortably, "Yes. I'd rather that information not get out. I ask you not to tell anyone. Not Ray, not Richard, not _anyone_."

"Yes Sir."

"When we return I want to begin regular sessions with you. I want to help you, Thomas. I'm just sorry that I am in such an unfortunate situation at the moment."

"Of course." Thomas smiled grimly, "I don't _enjoy_ being a bundle of nerves and rage."

"I'm sure we can deal with this." He smiled, "In the meantime, there is someone in the library you might be interested in meeting."

...

Thomas walked into the library and did a double-take.

He was there.

All 7'5" of him.

His body, what of it could be seen through the ancient funereal wrappings, was withered, dry and brown. His eyes seemed to glow in their deep sockets. He turned his head slowly from the bookshelf to look at the youth who'd just entered.

"N'Kantu!"

The Living Mummy nodded, "I have not been called that in many years . . ." His voice was a hoarse whisper. As his body no longer created saliva, speaking was both difficult and painful for him.

"Do you know sign language?" Thomas would rather not put the man in pain for the sake of a simple conversation.

_Yes._

_I've wanted to meet you for some time._

_I'm not Egyptian, you know. The Egyptians enslaved me, enslaved my entire tribe._

_I know. I've read your files. You're Swarili._

N'Kantu nodded, _I was their Chieftain. Why did you want to meet me?_

_You are living history._

N'Kantu laughed, a sound like sandpaper on a rough stone, _Living History? Gods . . . Is that what I've become?_

_I mean no offense._

_And none is taken. I understand why archaeologists and historians seek me out. It helps me forget for a time my curse._

_What brings you here?_

_The threat of being burned alive. I hope to be allowed to truly die someday, but I refuse to be killed by bigoted idiots. And Xavier disapproved of my using that. _He pointed a bony finger at a large sword resting against a nearby chair. _So he 'rescued' me. _A smile crossed his thin lips, _Lucky for the fools who attacked me._

Unlike Xavier, N'kantu was more than capable of killing his enemies. In fact, it was one such killing (_Justifiable_) that had landed him in his unfortunate state. He had slain Amen-Set, the Pharaoh who had enslaved his people and intended to kill them all once his tomb was completed. Unfortunately, the court wizard, Nephrus, had captured him and replaced his blood with a fluid that denied him death and transformed him into a living, breathing mummy. Ironically, the temple they were in collapsed almost immediately after, killing Nephrus and leaving N'Kantu trapped beneath the desert sands for almost three thousand years. _Awake and aware._ He'd finally escaped in the 1970's, and wandered the world ever since, in search of death. He was a a tragic hero, a vigilante trapped in a time not his own and within a withered husk of a body.

_That's funny, I always pictured you as a spear wielder._

N'Kantu turned and pointed again, at the far wall. A copper long spear rested against the wall.

Thomas smiled, _I was a Morning Star fan myself. Of course, that was only in the game._

_Morning Star?_

The Morning Star was a Medieval invention, not something N'kantu was likely to be familiar with. _A__ sort of metal club with spikes._

_You are a warrior?_

_No. It was only in play. I pretended to use a Morning Star because everyone else wanted swords._

_Children play fighting. Some things never change. _He looked toward the window. _Of course, you made need those skills, with such enemies as those such as us face. How do you speak without moving your lips? Is the metal you wear around your neck enchanted?_

_It's mechanical._

_You have no voice?_

_I have a serpent for a tongue. It has stolen my voice, but given me a weapon._

_A serpent?_

Thomas was fairly certain little could frighten The Living Mummy, so he distended his jaw and allowed his serpentine tongue to slither out.

_The Egyptians would have thought you a Son of Set, if not Set himself in mortal form._

_Or Apophis. I wonder, would I have been revered or fed to the crocodiles?_

_That I cannot answer. You are the first student to approach me. The others who have seen me were intimidated._

Thomas shrugged, _I've wanted to meet you for a long time, as I said. I know that you are not some monster seeking to break people's necks or strangle them or something equally cliched._

_Cliched?_

_It means a theme that has been used over and over again until it becomes boring. Almost every movie about mummies has them strangling people, kidnapping beautiful women and wreaking havoc on the idiots who defiled their tomb. I tend to agree with them in most of the movies, we should let the dead lie in peace._

_Yet you study archaeology? _

_There is far more to archaeology than looting tombs. _His thoughts drifted to ISIS and their destruction of so much history, and his stomach turned. _The way they used to do it was just sick. Using explosives to get into tombs and destroying valuable artifacts. Ignoring the local people's objections about desecrating their dead. People buying and selling corpses as conversation pieces . . . Now they're more careful. Artifacts usually go to local museums, so the descendants of the people who buried them can view them and learn about their pasts. They still display bodies in museums, which is in bad taste, in my opinion._

_I know. _I_ was on _display_ for a time in a museum in New York. I did not find the experience_ pleasant_._

_Perhaps you could become a spokesman for the ancient dead?_

_I don't have the charisma for such an undertaking, no pun intended. Even obvious mutants avoid me. _Another grim smile, _Humanity sees me as even less human than they see you. To them, I am a 'creature feature' come to life, not a man. _He looked down at his hands, _Sometimes even I find it hard to believe that I was once a man._

_I don't. You're still a man, just a very_ dry_ man._

Again that harsh laugh, _Dry, that's one way to put it._

_Would you tell me about your people? About the Swarili?_

N'Kantu was surprised, usually scholars wanted to talk about Egypt, not his own long-vanished culture. _Of course._

_Just wait here for a few minutes, I know some other people who would like to hear about the Swarili._

N'Kantu nodded, and soon Thomas, Evan, Ray, Todd, Broo, Wanda and several others were listening to tales of The Lion God and the lost tribe of the Swarili.

...

Washington, DC,

"I fear this plot be ill-conceived." Bloodscream hissed.

"I agree. If Creed is with him . . ." Roughouse was a mountain of a man, with a thick head of hair and beard. He was all muscle, and, being Asgardian, he was on the level of the gods themselves. He had little to fear from Sabertooth, he just didn't like the man.

Bloodscream hissed even louder, "Donald Pierce be here. And, if I be not mistaken, the Lady that hangeth upon his arm be naught other than Oyama Yuriko."

"Yeah. That's Lady Deathstrike alright." Roughouse's eyes narrowed, "And over there is Pretty Boy. I'll bet the others are here as well. They must be here for Mags too. It's gonna' be a mess. The Reavers, The Hellfire Club and Magneto, with us in the middle."

"I hath no doubt that The X-Men shall appear as well. This shall make an interesting spectacle, at least." Bloodscream grinned, revealing huge fangs.

...

"Mr. Pierce."

Pierce adjusted his ear bud, "What is it, Reese?"

"Bloodscream and Roughouse are in the crowd." Murray Reese didn't waste a moment. He, Wade Cole and Angelo Macon had been mercenaries in The Hellfire Club, until Wolverine had cut them to ribbons. Now they were bound to Pierce by blood and metal, "And Bloodscream's dressed as an _SS officer_. They are using holograms to disguise themselves. Should we take them out?"

Pierce frowned, Why would they be here, and Bloodscream in a Nazi uniform? There was only one logical answer, "No. The Club must have sent them to take out Magneto. Or distract him. Think of them as extra muscle, for now."

"What is it, Pierce-San?" Lady Deathstrike had little respect for Pierce as a man, but she was too polite to show it.

"Bloodscream and Roughouse. The Club must have sent them after Magneto." Pierce gnashed his teeth, "_Without_ telling _me_."

"To be fair,_ you_ did not tell _them_ that your Reavers would be here."

Pierce suddenly forced a smile as he saw Sebastian Shaw and Selene enter the building. Shaw saw him and stopped, stunned. Pierce smiled broadly, a real smile, this time. He'd finally pulled one over on the old mutie.

he turned away while they were still at the entrance, "Reese. Have the boys ready. Selene and Shaw just arrived. I _expect_ that they shall be caught in the cross-fire."

"Ten-four, sir. I've wanted to put that witch down for years."

...

The Hellfire Club.

Richard was reading the internet news.

_HELLISH HEIFER HORRIFIES HEARTLAND! _

At least old Hellcow didn't hate mutants . . . Not that he knew of, anyway.

There was a knock at the door, probably Tommy.

"I'll be right there." He set the tablet aside and opened the door.

The figure standing there was most certainly not his fiancee. She was dressed in a low, _low_ cut white silk bodice and revealing white silk . . . he didn't know what to call the tiny cloth she wore over her nether regions. To top it off were white riding boots and carried a white whip. She looked like a S&amp;M dominatrix. of course, that was how Emma Frost, (and Selene Gallo), always looked. The Club seemed to require the women in The Inner Circle dress in the most provocative outfits possible.

"Miss. Frost?" He did _not_ want Tommy to see this scantily clad woman in his room.

"Hello, Mr. Salmons." The White Queen smiled, "I wish to speak with you. And yes, I know you're engaged to be married. This is strictly a professional visit."

"By the way, we don't _have_ to dress like this, we do it to throw the old perverts like Leland off-balance."

...

To be continued . . .

I wanted to let the world know what I think of those ISIS bastards. Of all the evil, destructive things they have done, this is too much. So Thomas is expressing my own feelings of utter disgust towards those worthless scum.

_Apophis_, or _Apep_ was the Egyptian serpent god of evil, chaos and destruction.

During the big 'Egyptology' phase in the 18th and 19th centuries people in Britain and Europe actually did buy mummies as conversation pieces, many of them were destroyed or lost forever.

Harry Leland once hit on an underage Emma Frost, so she screwed with his mind and sent him home to bed with a male police officer . . . In his defense, he might not have realized she wasn't 18.

Pretty Boy is so named because he looks like a handsome man with no obvious cybernetics, unlike the other Reavers.

It is Swarili, _not_ Swahili. The Swarili were a fictional North African tribe created by Marvel.

Amen-Set and Nephrus are canon.


	23. Chapter 23

Snakehead

23

Asteroid M

With Pierce involved in the construction of the new sentinels, Magneto had little doubt that he'd incorporate non-metallic, non-magnetic materials into their construction. One had to give The Devil his due, Donald Pierce was one of the greatest minds in human history. It was a tragedy that his mind was so warped by bigotry and hatred.

He was curious as to what manner of trap the humans would set for him. He had no doubt they anticipated his attack upon Kelly, but he couldn't risk that fool becoming President of The United States. He wasn't terribly worried about himself, he was nearly invulnerable with his powers, but his Acolytes, particularly Pyro, were weak and vulnerable.

One had to work with the tools available, however.

It was a pity Apocalypse had not set his mind to defending his brother mutants rather than destroying 'the weak'. The fool . . . All of that power wasted on a demented Social Darwinist.

Mutants had stopped him, where humans had been helpless, yet humans still hated and feared those that had saved them.

Magneto was going to give them a _real_ reason to fear.

...

"They're sending_ you_ out to fight?" Tom was horrified. True, he knew that Ray was more than a match for most enemies, but the idea of sending _kids_ into battle was disturbing.

"We need all the power we can get to stop Magneto and The Hellfire Club." Ray pulled on his gloves. He was dressed in his X-Man uniform, looking neat and stoic as any professional soldier, "Don't worry, I was there when we fought Apocalypse, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I saw it on TV." _And Storm nearly fried you by making it rain when you were fully charged. _He knew of course that Storm had been under Apocalypse's control and would never _willingly_ have harmed Ray, but it showed just how dangerous things could become, "What about the school?"

"Between the students, The Morlocks, Beast, N'Kantu and Dr. Sugarman, you have nothing to worry about."

"Who's going?"

"Xavier, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean, Kurt, Evan, me . . ."

"That's all?"

"We want to be as subtle as possible. An overwhelming show of force would make it look like we were attacking Kelly. Except for Kurt, we all look 'normal', and we have to bring him along in case we need teleportation."

Thomas' phone rang. He answered it distractedly, "Yeah?"

His face fell and his eyes widened.

"What's wrong?"

Thomas swallowed hard, making an odd sound on his vocal projector, "That was Rick. _The_ _Reavers_ are waiting for Magneto, too."

"What?"

"Emma Frost told him. Pierce and The Reavers are waiting for Magneto. It's a trap."

"I've got to warn the Professor!" Ray turned and rushed out of the room.

...

"So, once this shin-dig is over, 'ow's about you an' me go for a few drinks?" Pretty Boy gave a brilliant smile. The young woman holding the_ MUTIE GO HOME!_ sign stared into the Australian cyborg's glittering green eyes._ Hell, I might not even need ta' charm her_. He thought to himself.

"Pretty Boy! Stop _chasing tail_ and stay _alert_!" Reese's voice shouted over his ear bud, "Magneto could be here any minute!"

Pretty Boy sighed and made a show of indicating his ear bud, "Duty calls. And jus' when things were lookin' up." He smiled again, "Catch ya' later, babe."

He turned and scowled in Reese's general direction.

Murray Reese felt a sliver of pleasure at thwarting Pretty Boy's 'conquest'. The man had no sense of propriety or responsibility. If Reese had the authority, he'd have Pretty Boy scrubbing the latrines with his toothbrush. Reese was a military man through-and-through, and Pretty Boy just didn't get it. He could fight and kill with the best of them, but his brain was in his pants. He was a cheap hood, a punk, not a soldier.

"Reese."

"Bonebreaker."

"I've picked up somethin' on radar, I think it's _his_ ship."

"Where?"

Bonebreaker was too high profile for this event, having a tank chassis for a lower body. He stood out like a flare in a crowd, so he'd been tasked with maintaining the Cooterman's Creek complex and watching the skies for Magneto. The Reaver's Australian base had a great deal of high-tech resources that couldn't be mobilized.

As he rattled off the coordinates, Reese conveyed them to Pierce and the others.

ETA, five minutes.

"Reese, there's somethin' else. I'm picking up the X-Men's jet and Mr. Pierce's 'party favors'."

It seemed too risky for Reese, but Pierce was the boss. If he wanted three sentinels in the Capitol, he was going to put three sentinels in the Capitol.

...

With Richard's revelation, Xavier had added Beast, Kid Gladiator, Sam and Roberto to the group. The X-Jet was crowded, but it was a necessary evil. The Reavers were far too dangerous to take lightly.

"Yo, Charlie."

"What is it, Mr. Logan?"

"Look who showed up." He pointed a finger at the screen in front of him, indicated a short, slim Asian woman.

"Lady Deathstrike?"

"Bingo. And you know she'll be gunnin' fer me."

"I hate to add to an already dire situation." Storm called back, "But I'm picking up three sentinels heading straight for The Capitol Building. Type Unknown."

Everyone glanced at each other nervously, everyone, except_ one_.

"Finally! Hurry this inferior machine so that Kid Gladiator can commence with the bashing!"

...

"The X-Men are headed for Washington. And there are three sentinels approaching as well."

Magneto laughed. Everyone, including Pyro, looked at him in confusion.

"It seems they've shown their hand prematurely. Mystique, Pyro, Sabertooth, you handle The X-Men and Kelly's guards. Gambit, you and I will handle the sentinels. Any questions?"

Pyro raised his hand, "Ain't that Donald Pierce?" He held up his tablet, showing a live feed of the press conference, "An' that's Sebastian Shaw . . ."

Magneto's eyes narrowed. He recognized even more figures. Selene, vampiric Black Queen of The Hellfire Club, Oyama Yuriko, Lady Deathstrike, Pretty Boy and Angelo Macon of The Reavers. There were doubtless others as well, the screen was small and the field of vision was limited.

He cursed loudly.

The Reavers _and_ The Hellfire Club _and_ The X-Men _and_ sentinels.

"Change of plans. Mystique, you pilot the ship and blast the sentinels out of the sky. The rest of us will take to ground."

"Don' ya' tink we a tad _outnumbered_?" Gambit addressed the elephant in the room.

"No matter. We can destroy all of our enemies with one blow."

Pyro's brow shot up, _An' they call me a nutter?_

Magneto smiled, "Let's let The X-Men land first, shall we?"

_..._

Donald Pierce and Sebastian Shaw glared at each other from opposite sides of the Capitol Building's front steps as Senator Robert Kelly's armored limo rolled up. Selene was in the crowd, confusing Pierce as to her purpose here, but it didn't matter. The Reavers would take her down regardless.

Senator Kelly emerged smiling and waving to the cheering crowds. The Anti-Mutant lobby was one of the most powerful, and the most targeted, political powers. Between relative nuisances like the ACLU and actual threats like radical mutants and their human allies, Senator Kelly had to be constantly on guard. Especially since the kidnapping and forcible mutation of his ally Rev. William Stryker, something he intended to bring up clearly in his speech. He spotted two of his staunchest allies near the podium, Donald Pierce and Sebastian Shaw, and shook their hands.

Then he stepped up to the podium.

...

"What now?" Wolverine turned to Xavier. They were set up around the entire press conference, hidden by holograms and architecture.

"Now, Mr. Logan. We wait for Magneto to make the first move."

...

Kelly was already well into his speech, "And so, for the safety of our children, I will demand _genetic testing_ on a yearly basis. We must find this cancer before it grows! Every day our brightest scientific minds are coming closer to a _cure_ for this mutant scourge-"

The sound of explosions shook the air.

Reese's voice came over the ear pod. "Mr. Pierce, the sentinels! They're bein' shot out of the sky!"

An aide hurried Senator Kelly to his limo as the crowd began to panic. Kelly's limo suddenly shot into the air as the Acolytes attacked. The Reavers shed their disguises and opened fire, as did The Hellfire Club mercenaries. Lady Deathstrike lunged for Sabertooth, her fingers extending into foot long adamantium talons, and the two began to slash and slice at one another like wild animals. Donald Pierce turned to Sebastian Shaw and smiled.

"It looks like you're in a bit of trouble, _old man_."

...

Magneto hovered above the scene, tauntingly shaking the limo and deflecting bullets with his magnetic field.

"At last we meet, Senator. I must say, the pleasure's all yours'." He turned the car completely vertical, "Care for a trip south -" He caught something out of the corner of his eye.

_No._

_No. It's not possible!_

A tall, corpse-pale man with long white hair stood nearby, wearing the uniform of an SS officer. He was shouting profanities in German, clearly trying to catch Magneto's attention.

He succeeded.

The limo fell to the ground, smashing the front end as Magneto rushed the Nazi.

...

Bloodscream had not felt fear in a long, long time. He_ wanted_ to die. But the look on Magneto's face convinced him that he did not want to die at his hands. He ducked, avoiding a vicious blow, and Magneto felt himself restrained. Roughouse held him tightly, and his blows did little to the huge man.

"_Selene_! Now be the time, M'Lady!" The man in the SS uniform shouted.

Magneto closed his eyes and unleashed a powerful electromagnetic burst, knocking the big man down as The X-Men appeared. The Pale Man jumped him, and his claws grasped his throat drawing blood. Magneto screamed as he felt the life being sucked out of him. The hand flew back as a whip wrapped itself around his neck, and he felt his soul being pulled into that cursed strip of leather.

Bloodscream screamed and released Magneto as flames washed over him, setting the hated uniform ablaze. It would not kill him, but it _hurt_. He turned to see a red-haired youth wearing customized flamethrowers.

"Me'thinks, lad, that be the_ last_ mistake thou shalt make!" He leaped for Pyro, only to struck by a huge, furry blue fist.

"Ah, _Bloodscream_. I understand you were once a physician like myself. Maybe I can acquaint you with modern medical techniques, after I beat you into submission, of course." Dr. Hank McCoy smiled at the vampire.

"Dr. McCoy, I presume?" The vampire's form twisted, his lower jaw extended several feet, his teeth became daggers, his arms elongated and his hands became talons, "You be not as young as the lad there, but blood _be_ blood . . ."

Pyro didn't have time to help Beast, Selene was sucking the life from Magneto. Pyro's flames forced the witch back, and she lost grip on her whip. Magneto fell to the ground, the whip still wrapped around his throat. Pyro rushed over to him. Before Selene could attack him she was thrown to the ground by Sabertooth.

...

Lady Deathstrike had flung Creed away the instant she saw Logan.

"So. We meet again, Logan."

"Still after my bones, Yuriko?"

She answered with a brutal slash to Logan's chest.

...

As Sabertooth dealt with Selene, Pyro turned Magneto over, then recoiled in horror. He was _old_. His body seemed to have aged years in seconds. Pyro hurriedly unwrapped the whip from his throat, revealing the bright red imprint of The Pale Man's hand. With bullets flying everywhere, Reavers, X-Men, mercenaries and vampires fighting a pitched battle and Magneto clearly out of commission, St. John Allerdyce saw no other option than to call for extraction.

...

"I need but lay a single hand upon thy flesh to drink thy red, salty essence." The vampire hissed, "Thy fur is no protection."

Hank consoled himself with the fact that he had probably saved Pyro's life, but there was a real possibility it would cost him his own. "You want blood, go to a_ blood bank_."

"Ah, but it be best drunk hot and fresh from the source." A long black tongue slithered between Bloodscream's fangs. Then he moved. Hank was shocked at the creature's speed as it rushed him. Something heavy struck the back of his head, and everything went black.

...

Bloodscream knelt over Beast's prone form, hand on his furry chest. Suddenly a bone dagger struck him in the chest, lodging in his heart. He looked up in surprise at the dark-skinned young man covered in external bones.

No weapon made by mortal man could kill him.

_But bone was not crafted by human hands._

Bloodscream smiled. The nightmare was finally over.

He closed his eyes and embraced the darkness.

...

Roughouse watched his friend and partner fall and roared in fury. He bull-rushed Spyke, only to be knocked insensate by a lightning bolt.

Ray smiled and went back to over-loading the cyborgs.

Evan rushed over to Hank. He was alive, but he had an elongated hand-print burned in red upon his blue-furred chest.

Nearby lay a pale, ordinary looking man in charred clothing, a bone stake in his heart.

...

Sabertooth screamed as Selene's slender arms wrapped around him with the strength of steel. He could feel his very life being sucked from his body, he roared and slashed, but his movements had no power. Suddenly Selene jerked back, a red hole gaping in her throat. Sabertooth felt the bullet pass through him as well, but even weakened his healing factor and high pain threshold kept him conscious. He watched the beautiful, raven-haired woman shrivel with age, the corpse's hands still firmly clutching him. Within seconds she was mummified, a few seconds more and she was nothing but dust.

...

Charles Xavier was torn. Hank was injured. Erik was severely injured. Evan was in turmoil, having just_ killed_ a man. Senator Kelly and his driver were dazed but relatively unharmed. He closed his eyes and forced the mercenaries to cease fire as his X-Men mopped up The Reavers.

...

Donald Pierce held Sebastian Shaw up by his throat, his cybernetic hands twisted into vicious claws.

"Your days have ended, mutant." He smiled, "Consider this a_ hostile take-over_."

"Burn in Hell, Pierce!"

"You first."

Pierce's arm was suddenly and painfully crushed into scrap, and Shaw fell gasping to the ground. Kid Gladiator punched The White Bishop in the face, only to stare horrified as his head flew from his shoulders. As Pierce's body collapsed, his head, still very much alive, began screaming curses at the young Strontian. Kubark looked down at Shaw, "I was tempted to let him kill you. But where's the fun in that?"

...

Magneto's ship lowered itself until it was hovering a few feet above the ground, and Gambit carried the limp Magneto onto the ship, followed quickly by Pyro and an exhausted Sabertooth. Creed's yellow-white fur was striped with grey, and he felt incredibly weak. If not for his healing factor, he was certain he would be as bad off as Magneto.

...

The X-Men watched The Acolytes flee. They had their hands full with The Reavers and their own wounded.

Evan looked over the dead vampire as Charles and Storm worried over Hank. Jean stood beside Roughouse, keeping him unconscious with her mental powers. The last thing they needed was a raging Asgardian berserker.

"He needs medical treatment, Charles. He's lost a lot of blood."

Charles Xavier nodded numbly. Hank _should_ recover, but would_ Erik_ live?

...

Evan extended a shaking hand to touch The Pale Man's throat.

Nothing.

He looked so_ human_ now, even more so than he'd looked while 'alive'.

He'd killed a man.

He'd actually _killed_ a man.

"You had no choice, Evan." Professor Xavier's soothing voice cut through the despair, "He . . . He _wanted_ to die. That is why he came here. To find death."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No. If you ever feel 'good' about killing . . ." He decided to skip the lecture, "You saved Hank's life. You did what you had to do."

"There's always another way. That's what you say."

"If there was another way, you did not know it. You had to act on your feet to save Hank's life. And you did."

"It wasn't an accident."

"What?"

"I didn't '_accidentally_' stake him through the heart. I knew he was a vampire, so . . . I _aimed_ for his heart." With that revelation, Evan threw up.

...

Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike continued to slash and hack at one another. Both were experts in_ Bushido_, but this was not _Bushido_, this was an animalistic brawl between two virtually unkillable beings. Two mad dogs tearing at each other with incredible speed and ferocity.

...

"_Dios Mio . . ._" Angelo's voice broke the silence of the group huddled around the large television in the main room of The Xavier Mansion. Even N'Kantu seemed shocked by the brutality of the fight.

Hank was down. Magneto was down, possibly dead. The Pale Man was clearly dead, Evan's bone blade in his heart. Selene had crumbled into dust. The Reavers were scattered in pieces across the area and Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike were tearing up the streets and each other.

Thomas noted with relief that Ray seemed unharmed. He, Kurt and Roberto were helping the injured, including Senator Kelly and his chauffeur.

"Oh, look. Kelly survived._ Wonderful_." Callisto's voice was laced with sarcasm. "People always ask why_ bad things_ happen to_ good people_, I wonder why _good things_ happen to _bad people._"

"I wonder what Kelly thinks about being helped by _mutants_." Jubilee asked.

Todd frowned angrily, "Guys like that are all the same, yo. He'll probably go home an' call in more sentinels . . ."

"You're probably right, Todd." N'Kantu's scratchy voice was tinted with sadness, "One does not thank a slave. And that is all he considers non-humans to be."

...

Asteroid M

"He's lucky you was 'round, John." Gambit's voice was hushed. "You saved his life."

Magneto lay in bed, connected to tubes and wires. The red mark on his throat had not dulled, if anything, it had grown darker. Mystique said that it would leave a permanent scar.

"He's dead. That vampire. And Selene." Creed's voice was unusually soft, he had yet to fully recover from his own attack.

"_I'd_ be dead, if Beast hadn't distracted that thing." St. John was still shaky from the experience, "'E' was after me, but McCoy . . ." His voice trailed off.

"Why was he wearin' an _SS_ uniform?" Creed asked.

"Somebody, somebody_ sick_, put him up to it." Mystique noted, "Bloodscream was a mercenary, an assassin. _And_ he worked for _The Hellfire Club_."

"I 'eard 'im call for Selene. They were workin' t'gether." Pyro added, "Prob'ly Shaw, too."

"We will deal with him later."

"Why's he look so old?"

"Selene. She drains. . . _Drained_ the life force from her victims. Their youth and vitality," Mystique replied, "Magneto is over a hundred years old already, he just aged slowly. Thanks to Selene, he aged rapidly."

"Can it be fixed?"

"I have no idea. You're already looking younger, Vic, but you have a healing factor that makes you practically immortal. Erik doesn't."

"What about a blood transfusion," Creed asked, "Me an' him."

"Your blood is incompatible. If I could isolate the genes responsible for your healing factor, I could use gene therapy. But I'm not as skilled as Sugarman or McCoy."

...

There was no choice. Her left arm was little more than a bundle of wires, and her systems were badly damaged. She was swiftly losing power. Lady Deathstrike vanished, teleporting back to Australia.

She'd be back, of course.

...

The police were at a loss with what to with The Reavers, but S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken custody of the cyborgs, as well as Roughouse and Bloodscream's body. Ironically, Justin Pierce, nephew of Donald Pierce and an FBI Agent, had been assigned to help take Pierce in to custody. Justin intended to restore honor to the family name, honor that Donald had squandered with his criminal activities. Donald Pierce had singled out his nephew for mockery, even as a severed head, his hatred was unflappable. Justin was human, but he was sympathetic toward mutants, and just as hateful in Donald's eyes.

...

The staff, students and guests sat around in a daze, waiting for word on Beast's condition. From what Thomas knew of Bloodscream, his feeding left a permanent imprint of his hand on those few fortunate enough to survive an encounter with the vampire. He was uncertain if even plastic surgery could remove the mark.

Miraculously, none of the others had been hurt, though Evan was struggling with the consequences of having taken a life. The two people present who had already taken lives, Wolverine and N'Kantu, were trying to help him through it.

Xavier was far too busy, as much as he regretted it. He'd decided that he could no longer hide the truth about Stryker's death, and had been forced to call a press conference to explain both Stryker's demise and the battle at The Capitol Building. It was incredibly frustrating; Hank was severely injured and Erik was near death. Thomas was on the verge of a psychotic break, Evan had killed a man and both boys needed comfort and support. Not that he viewed the deaths of Stryker, Selene or Bloodscream or any of the others who had fallen as insignificant, but they could no longer be helped.

And now he had to explain the murder of a man he'd had no part in. Erik had killed Stryker, not The X-Men, they'd been trying to _save_ his life.

But they would take the blame, no doubt.

Sometimes, even Charles Xavier wondered if his dream could possibly be fulfilled.

...

To be continued . . .

Justin Pierce is a canon character. He is an FBI Agent who opposes his uncle.

Yes, The Reaver's Australian base_ is_ located in a ghost town called _Cooterman's Creek_.

I doubt either Bloodscream or Selene could die so easily in canon.


	24. Chapter 24

Snakehead

24

"-Enigmatic multibillionaire socialite Selene Gallo, of Roma Nova, South America is missing and presumed dead following the battle. Donald Pierce has been stripped of his title as CEO of Pierce Consolidated Mining due to his alleged ties to The Reavers. He is expected to be replaced by his estranged brother, Jonathan. Pierce is facing multiple charges of facilitating terrorism, murder, robbery, corporate espionage and tax evasion, among others. In addition to U.S. Authorities, INTERPOL, Great Britain, The U.S.S.R., The People's Republic of China, India, Israel and Madripoor have all prepared charges against him. Pierce's attorney had no-"

Click.

"I doubt Magneto is dead. It will take more than a vampire to kill that monster. If the current administration would take a_ tougher_ stance on the Mutant Mena-"

Click.

"Shaw, who was uninjured in the attack -"

Click.

Hank clicked off the television and lay back in his bed. "Well, at least Pierce is taking the heat, for now." A large, red hand print was burned into the blue fur on his chest, he jokingly called it 'The Mark of The Beast'. "How's Evan handling this?"

"He is very confused right now. He killed someone, even if that person was a cursed, undead creature who wanted to die. He will need a great deal of help to get past this."

"From what I understand of vampires, wouldn't simply removing the stake from his heart revive him? After all, he's been declared 'dead' before while he was merely in a healing state of inactivity."

"The curse that created Bloodscream was not the same as that which created Varnae and his kin. Like Dr. Morbius, he was not a _true_ vampire. Bloodscream was suspended between life and death by a witch doctor, and only a weapon 'not made by human hands' could harm or kill him. It's a vague and cryptic expression that can be interpreted many ways, especially in this time of fully automated factories. What I do know is that he was seemingly unkillable. He'd survived explosions, decapitation... It is possible that he still lives and will awaken, much to the misfortune of whoever happens to be nearby."

"Does Evan know this?"

"Yes. I told him, of course. I don't want him to suffer false hope, however." He paused, "When the bone struck Bloodscream's heart, I felt his relief, his _joy_ at being freed of his curse. As much as it pains me to say it, it might be more merciful for him if he is dead."

"A terrible quandary, a cursed man whose deepest desire was to die and the boy who is guilt-ridden over killing him. If it was my place to choose, I'd choose Evan. Bloodscream could have made something more of his existence than the life of a mercenary and assassin. He could have embraced what he was and used it to the best of his abilities. As a physician, immortal and immune to all diseases, he could have learned the medical advancements throughout the centuries, treated the most virulent of pestilences, worked with patients others could not safely approach, saved countless lives."

"The life of a vampire, even a 'pseudo-vampire' is vastly different from that of a mutant. Even if it were not, we cannot honestly say what we would have done in his situation. Undying, physically inhuman and cursed with a ravenous thirst for blood, who could say?"

"Like the Wendigo. Most Wendigo were good people forced into extreme situations, but the curse robbed them of their minds and made them monsters." Hank nodded in agreement, "Still, unlike the Wendigo he still had full possession of his faculties, or at least his intellect. And the first act he committed after being cursed was to murder the shaman who had 'saved' him from death. Of course, that was undoubtedly a crime of passion, finding himself transformed into an immortal, blood-thirsty, 'unholy' monster would drive almost _anyone_ over the edge of sanity." He paused.

"What about Pietro and Wanda?"

"We'll do everything we can to help them."

...

Thomas was even quieter than usual, he wanted Ray to get a good rest after the fight and waiting up worrying over Beast's condition. He silently slipped out the door and down into the main hall, where an excited group of students had already gathered.

"He's not dead, sad to say." Quentin lay back in comfortable chair, "But he's gonna' be feelin' this for the rest of his life."

'He' being Magneto, of course.

"Is Ray still alright?" Scaleface asked as she caught sight of Thomas.

"He's alright. I just didn't want to wake him up, he needs his rest." Thomas had wanted to stay with him, wait until he woke up and spoken with him privately, in case he needed to talk about it. But he'd decided it better to wait.

He looked around anxiously.

"Don't worry, Pietro and Wanda aren't down here. Not even_ I'd_ say anything about wanting Magneto dead around his own kids." Quentin answered his unspoken question, "They're in pretty bad shape. And they don't want company right now, at least, not _our_ company."

...

Pietro had his face buried in his hands, while Wanda was trying to look as impassive as possible, and failing.

"Ya' now Mags, he's prolly_ Immortal_, yo." Todd said gently.

"He has survived worse. Much worse." Freddy offered, "He won't let some crazy S&amp;M chick take him out."

Nobody was stupid enough to bring up Magneto's total lack of parental skills and lack of concern for his children.

"That... _Woman..._" Was all Pietro could get out.

"Is _dead_. So's that freaky Nazi vampire-thing." Lance replied.

Wanda laughed a little, "A Nazi vampire and a soul-sucking dominatrix. Sounds like a bad joke."

"A _succubus_. That's what she was, a succubus, yo."

"My God, Todd's making sense. It's the end of the world for sure." Wanda cracked a tired smile, "How do _you_ know what a succubus is?"

"I read."

"Yeah, _Playboy, Hustler, Penthouse..._"

"Hey! They have good articles in _Playboy_. Did you know _The Fly_ was originally printed in _Playboy_, yo? They have a lot of good stories." He grinned, "Besides, those ain't mine, yo. Those are Lance_s_. He's the pervert."

"Yeah, Todd can barely look at a woman without fainting." Lance nudged him with his elbow.

"I'm a_ gentleman_, yo. I don't treat women as objects."

Wanda gave a genuine smile this time. Todd could be sweet, in his own weird way.

Pietro, desperate to take his mind off his father, chimed in. "_The Fly_? Like the movie with Vincent Price?"

"Yeah, the same. It written by some French guy, I can't remember his name."

"George Langelaan. And he wasn't French. You're prolly thinking of_ Planet of The Apes_." Todd might not be a straight-A student, but he knew his movies.

"Why haven't they contacted us?" Pietro asked, "He's our father."

"They probably can't. The sky is crawling with sentinels looking for Magneto, they can't risk leading them back to him..."

Wanda was torn. She hated her father for making her childhood a living Hell, but he was still her father, and she loved him. Love and hate were warring inside her, and love was winning out, if only for Pietro's sake. She had no idea how Pietro would react if their father died, and she didn't want to find out.

...

The Hellfire Club was in chaos.

Many of the members were shareholders or investors in Pierce Consolidated Ming, a few sat on its board of directors. A great deal of money had been lost as the company's stocks plummeted due to the arrest of its CEO and an uncertain future. The surviving victim's of The Reavers attacks would likely sue, and though the Pierce family fortune was vast, it was not unlimited. Fortunes could be lost or made if one acted, or failed to act, quickly enough.

As the rank-and-file members had little knowledge of The Inner Circle, the loss of both The Black Queen and White Bishop and the destabilization those losses caused were unknown to them. There was a real danger that The Black King might lose his throne as well, which would leave an enormous power vacuum. Sebastian Shaw was a powerful and forceful man, ruthless and brilliant, and without his guidance, the surviving members would be would be severely weakened.

Friedrich von Roehm had not taken the news of his goddess' death well. Fortunately, Emma had been able to gain control over him after a short but destructive rampage. He was a weak-minded man, he had been Selene's faithful servant for his entire life,_ literally_. He had been born into a family bred to serve the ageless sorceress. With her death his life ceased to have meaning, beyond perhaps trying to find a way to bring her back. Emma was trying to turn his devotion to her, but even with her powers it was difficult.

Harry Leland had a far more difficult part to play, he had to legally and publicly distance both The Hellfire Club and Sebastian Shaw from the fallen Donald Pierce. Fortunately, in addition to being a highly competent attorney in his own right, he had a team of high-powered attorneys to exploit every legal avenue to clear Shaw's name. Ironically, this time it was actually true, Shaw had honestly had no knowledge of Pierce's agenda until it was far too late. Still, there had been Hellfire Club mercenaries exchanging fire with The Reavers, and lawsuits were already being drawn up.

...

Richard and a few other mercenaries joined Roughouse, (whom Mr. Leland had quickly bailed out of jail), as he bid farewell to his long time friend. Bloodscream's body was being shipped back to his native England for burial, though no one was sure where exactly in England he was born or even what his real name was. It was a show of respect for a fallen comrade.

There would be more funerals, the battle had claimed several lives among the mercs.

...

Thomas Salmons quickly realized that a 5'2" teenager taking a 'selfie' with a 7'4" man was difficult, to say the least. Finally, N'Kantu lifted him up to shoulder level and snapped the photo himself. The anachronism of a three thousand year old mummy using a state-of-the-art cell-phone to take a 'selfie' was not lost on anyone present, not even N'kantu himself.

"Techno-mummy?" He rasped. With Thomas in his right hand, he couldn't very well sign. He gently set Thomas down. N'Kantu was blessed with super-strength as well as near-impenetrable skin. Of course, he was also cursed with a withered, if highly resilient, husk of a body, slow muscle reaction and a throat as dry as the Sahara. "If I had some of the simplest technologies you have back in my time, I would have been hailed as a god."

"'Till the batteries ran out . . ." Ray observed.

"True."

Next up was Todd, who, thanks to his sticky fingers, was able to take the picture himself while holding on to N'Kantu.

"'An I thought Ray was tall, yo."

"Did you really meet Anubis?" Thomas asked.

_Yes. I serve as his agent._

How about Ammit?

_I have seen Ammit, but we have not been formally introduced._

"What do you do for Anubis, yo?"

_I . . . I cull the souls of the wicked. In return, he has promised to grant me death._

"You're like The Grim Reaper?"

_In a way._

N'Kantu had told them of his life, of his father, T'Chombi, his wife, V'Leema, both now dust. He hoped to be free of his curse and join them, one day. He enjoyed living, but enduring three thousand years buried alive had left him weary. This wasn't his place, his time. He belonged in the past. Everything was so strange, wonderful and terrible at the same time. Everyone he had ever known and loved was dust. But, at least, he could find some comfort in friends.

It was nice to be around beings who neither feared or despised him. These children were both caring and curious, they wanted to know about him as a man, not a monster. They treated him as a man. They knew what it was like to be different, to be shunned and feared. They knew loneliness, isolation.

Fortunately, they did not know what a curse immortality could be.

It would be difficult to leave this peaceful, welcoming place. But it was necessary, his vow with Anubis required him to travel. And, to kill. Killing had no place here, among these children.

...

Marcus Salmons paced like a caged lion. He was a handsome man, with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes, and bore more than a passing resemblance to his eldest son.

"The Reavers. I've known Pierce since Princeton . . ." He trailed off. Though he'd known Pierce was anti-mutant to the point of psychosis, he'd had no idea that he was behind a violent terrorist group. "Did you know, Richard?"

"I suspected." Richard replied. He and Tommy were sitting on an ornate sofa in the Salmons' home. Marcus' animosity toward mutants had softened greatly due to both his sons being involved, and Tommy was now accepted within the house. "The technology they used was so advanced that it had to be either Pierce or some kind of alien tech. I didn't tell you because I was afraid of what would happen if you knew. If you'd confronted Pierce about it, he'd likely have killed you."

Marcus shook his head, "It's so incredible. All of these years I've been friends with a terrorist. He sat on that very sofa!" He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Not only was he an old friend of Pierce, he was also heavily invested in Pierce Consolidated Mining. He'd survive if they went under, but he'd lose a great deal of money. "I'm one of his friends, they'll probably investigate me as a possible accessory. . ."

"But you're not. Let them investigate, there's nothing to find." Richard's cell phone pinged. He picked it up and looked, "Thomas sent a picture." He looked closely at the picture, disbelieving his own eyes, then held it up to show his father and fiancee.

"Is that The Living Mummy?"

"In the flesh." He laughed, "And I think he's actually _smiling_."

...

"So, when are losers gonna' give up and leave?"

"_Shove it,_ Summers, yo."

Scott Summers crossed his arms and smiled at The Brotherhood, "You_ delinquents_ couldn't make it last time, what makes you think you'll make it now? You're still _trash_."

"And you're still a dickhead." Lance snarled. He was _not_ in the mood for this crap.

"If you want trouble-"

"We're not lookin' for trouble, yo."

"You punks are always lo-"

"_Scott._"

Cyclops turned to see Thomas and Ray, just before Thomas decked him with a vicious uppercut.

"What the Hell?!"

"You drove 'em off once, douche-bag. If you try it again," Thomas unhinged his jaw and the serpent shot out, hovering centimeters from Scott's face, "You'll regret it."

Scott reached up slowly, wary of the snake, and touched his jaw, coming away with blood on his hand. He looked at Thomas in disbelief and rage.

"You'll pay for that."

"He ain't worth it, yo!" Todd called out, "'Sides, we can defend ourselves." He wanted to thank him for socking that self-righteous prick, but that would only get Tom in more trouble.

Thomas' eyes narrowed as he glared at the prone X-Man, and for the first time Scott saw a hint of yellow-green in those brown eyes. He felt his skin crawl, he was actually frightened.

"Tom," Ray set a hand on Tom's shoulder, "Please. Don't do anything crazy."

"It's a little late for that." Thomas remarked, "But it felt _good_ . . ."

...

"I'm very disappointed in both of you," Xavier's voice was weary, "Especially you, Scott."

"Me! He tried to_ kill_ me!"

"I have made it clear time and time again that _all_ mutants are to be welcomed at this school. The Brotherhood is no exception. Here they have a chance to reform, but if you drive them away, _again_, they will _certainly_ become our enemies."

"They're criminals-"

"_Enough!_" Xavier was getting angry. Even his seemingly endless patience had been overtaxed, between Evan, Hank, Wanda and Pietro, Thomas and now Scott, it was just too much. "You will treat these children as you treat any other student here, or I will remove you from your position as instructor."

Scott's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious!"

"I am. Now, leave us, I must speak to Mr. Salmons alone."

Scott stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"Now, Thomas." He sighed, "Your loyalty to your friends is admirable, but they aren't as fragile as you think. They can defend themselves far better than you can."

"If they had defended themselves against Scott, they'd have been thrown out."

"You underestimate me, Thomas. I try to take everything into consideration."

"You do, but not everyone else here is that understanding. Scott was trying to goad them into attacking him so he'd have an excuse to throw them back into the street."

"Which is why Scott is being so harshly punished. As for you," He paused, "I don't know what to do. Your temper is becoming a threat to the others at this school and can no longer be tolerated. Some of the other students are _afraid_ of you. I'm not going to expel you, that would only make matters worse. But I'm going to have you see a therapist. I wish that I could work with you one-on-one, but the demands on my time and energy make that impossible."

Thomas nodded in silent agreement.

"Of course, I will also have to notify your father of these _incidents_."

Thomas eyes widened in shock, "You're going to call my father?"

"You've threatened the lives of two people and assaulted a teacher. If this were a 'normal' school, I'd be informing the police."

That was true, of course. Thomas was surprised that he wasn't facing charges. But, still, he was nervous about his father learning what he had done. Marcus Salmons would no doubt look down upon Todd and the others in a similar manner to Scott.

"I will also be having you remain on C-Team."

"Under Cyclops?!"

"Yes. I've found that the best way for people to learn to empathize with one another is to work together."

"But we don't work 'together', he's my instructor. He has _all_ the power..."

Xavier considered this. It was sad but true, empathy with an equal was far easier to accomplish than empathy with a subordinate or superior. He knew that Thomas was fond of his team, they worked well together and Angelo was one of his closest friends.

"I won't have you return to the team right away, of course. Once the therapist has decided that you are stable enough to endure such a stressful situation without resorting to unnecessary violence, we will work you back in. Until then, consider yourself on reproof."

"Reproof?"

"You will be under watch. For the sake of everyone here we cannot allow this to happen again."

...

"If we want him to live, we only have one choice."

Sabertooth hissed with displeasure, but he knew it was true.

The only people on earth who could save Magneto's life, outside of Donald Pierce, who would rather kill him, were The X-Men.

"Besides." Mystique's voice was barely audible, "We need to bring his children here, to see him. They deserve that much, at least."

...

To be continued . . .

Notes:

I'm trying to keep Thomas in 'the background' to keep him from becoming a Mary-Sue, but it's hard

Some sources list Bloodscream's name as Zachariah Ravenscroft, but that might be another alias and it's not on the official sites

Jonathan Pierce is an OC. After all, Justin has to have a parent, I assumed since he carries the family name his father would be Donald's brother, but it could also be an unwed or divorced sister.

_The Fly_ originally appeared in the June 1957 _Playboy_ magazine. It was written by George Langelaan. No, I do not have the magazine, I read it in a collection of short stories.


	25. Chapter 25

Snakehead

25

"Of course, I'm happy to lend my assistance, as is Dr. McCoy." Dr. Sugarman looked at the blue-skinned woman, then at the two children whose father's life was ebbing away. "We'll do everything we can, but I cannot make any promises."

"We know." Wanda's voice was tired.

"Thank you, both of you." Pietro said, the fear in his voice well-evident.

"You are most welcome, I only pray that we can contribute something."

"Thank you, Doctors, Professor."

Charles nodded, "Good luck, all of you."

"Good luck, yo!" Todd didn't like Magneto, but he didn't want him dead. Besides the obvious moral implications, he knew that Erik's death would devastate the twins, and they were like family to him.

"Be careful." Freddy called out as they boarded the ship. The ship was too small for The Brotherhood to come along, but they'd come to see them off with what encouragement they could give.

They watched as the small ship headed off into the sky.

"Do ya' think it'll be any different, yo?"

"No." Lance shook his head sadly, "If he lives, he'll probably be the same jackass he's always been."

...

"He did _what_?" Marcus Salmons could not believe his ears.

"He threatened the life of a member of my staff. He was provoked, and no one was hurt." He paused, "But I'm worried about his mental state. His insecurity, rapid change in lifestyle and desire to help and protect his friends are combining into a dangerous obsession."

"Are you saying that my son is _psychotic_?"

"No. He is overprotective and has poor impulse control. He's confused and frightened by all of these sudden changes and he needs psychological help. I'd like your permission to assign him a therapist."

"Have the papers ready. I'll fly down at once."

Richard's face was pale, and Tommy looked upset. Thomas was not a violent person, or, at least, he had not been before. But he had not been around many people before, and he'd still been human then.

...

Doctors McCoy and Sugarman were stunned. They had been appraised of Magneto's condition, and had read files on the effects of Selene's vampiric touch, but nothing could have prepared hem for the sight of the withered, frail figure that had two days ago been the world's most feared and reviled terrorist. Everything about him bespoke imminent death.

Gambit had been forced to escort Wanda and Pietro from the room, the sight had been too much for the already fragile siblings. McCoy wished they could have brought along the others, their 'family' for support but time and limited space on the ship had prevented it.

"I... I'll be honest with you, Mystique. I have never seen a case such as this, accelerating aging and decay." Sugarman's voice was soft, "Your idea of gene therapy using Mr. Creed's healing factor_ could_ work, but we have little time left. I am unfamiliar with Mr. Lensherr's genetic code, that will slow us down, but the work you have already begun will be of immense value. Beyond that, it is in God's hands."

...

"I hope you didn' get in too much trouble, yo."

"Don't worry. I'm under 'reproof', and my dad is coming, _here_. I wonder what he'll think of my friends..." Snakehead smiled, "Xavier also said that if Summers tries to run you off, he'll kick him off the faculty."

Todd's eyes grew wide as saucers. "_SNAP_! You yankin' ma' chain, Dawg?"

"That was Scott's reaction too. Man is he_ pissed_. Xavier may be keeping a watch on me, but I've got my eye on Cyclops. If he steps out of line..."

Todd started laughing.

"That doesn't mean you guys can do whatever you want. It just means bullies like Summers have to keep their big mouths shut."

"Oh man, I wish I coulda' seen his face!" Todd was rolling on the ground laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ray walked over, noticing the ruckus. Thomas noted that Scaleface was with him.

"S-Summers, yo!" Todd was helpless with laughter, "H-he got... Xavier..."

"Xavier threatened to_ fire_ Scott if he mistreated The Brotherhood kids."

Now it was Ray's turn to go wide-eyed with shock, " No way!"

"Yes, way."

"What about you?"

"My dad's coming, here, and I have to have therapy."

"He's sending you to a shrink?"

"Yeah. On the plus side, you'll finally get to meet my dad."

"I thought he hated mutants."

"He's pretty much accepted the fact, now. With one son marrying a mutant and the other being a mutant, he's only got two choices. I'm lucky he went with 'acceptance.'" He frowned, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"That's alright." Ray smiled, his, Todd's and Scaleface's parents had chosen, 'throw the mutie kid out and try again', "You are lucky, though."

"Yeah, if I'd done that to Summers, I'd be sittin' in an cell. Maybe even The Chair, yo." Todd was fairly unconcerned with his parents' position, mainly due to the fact that he was abandoned at birth.

"I think they use lethal injections, now. Even Florida retired '_Old Sparky_'." He grinned, " Of course, they could always dust it off for special occasions..."

...

"Thanks."

Hank turned from his research to look at Pyro, who indicated the bright red mark in his blue fur. The imprint of Bloodscream's hand.

"It was my pleasure, John."

"You nearly died savin' me life."

"All in a day's work." He smiled gently, then a thought occurred to him "You're fairly close to Wanda and Pietro's ages, why don't you go speak with them? Try to help keep their spirits up."

"Yes, sir." The youth smiled, nodded and and started to walk away, then turned, a guilty look crossing his face, "Do ya' blame me, fightin' Selene and leavin' you with that vampire and the other bloke?"

"Of course not. I'm alive, and you saved Magneto's life, assuming he survives this procedure. I'm sure he'd be proud of you. Now go, I really have to get back to my work."

"Sorry, doc. Thanks..."

...

Marcus Salmons was floored by the sheer diversity of mutants present, some looked completely human, a few were even attractive. Others looked totally inhuman, large, toothy insects and transparent blobs of flesh. He recognized a tall, handsome, athletic youth from photos Thomas had sent.

"Mr. Crisp?"

"Please, just Ray."

Richard smiled and shook his hand, he'd met Ray before, on his previous visit, and found him a likeable young man, "It's good to see you again, I just wish it were under better circumstances."

"So do I, Rick."

"You are Thomas' roommate?"

"Yes sir. And his friend. He's a good kid."

"I saw you on television. You helped save Senator Kelly from The Reavers."

"Yes, sir. But I only helped, others did more."

"Why would you risk your life for someone who hates mutants?"

Ray shrugged, "All life is sacred. If we went around killing everyone who disagrees with us, we'd be as bad as ISIS or Al Qaeda, just a bunch of murderers hiding behind empty philosophy."

Marcus was impressed, the boy was strong, intelligent and polite, despite his poor fashion sense and clear lower-class background.

By this time Thomas had come to the door, flanked by a small, thin youth with an unhealthy greenish complexion and a decided slouch. Richard recognized him at once, but Marcus was not familiar with The Brotherhood or its members.

"Dad. Rick." His voice was carefully neutral. "It's good to see you. This is Todd." He indicated the green youth. The boy quickly vanished back into the house, and a bald man in a wheelchair took his place, "Welcome Mr. Salmons, Richard. I am Professor Charles Xavier."

Marcus nodded, "I know who you are."

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion in my office."

...

"Is this all of it?"

Mystique scrunched her face in disgust, "Yes, this is all of the mutagenic agent, unless Erik has some hidden away. I wouldn't put it past him. I also purged the computer systems and records of the virus, hopefully he won't be able to duplicate it."

Sugarman sighed. Science had such potential for good, but it seemed everyone was determined to use it for evil. He began dropping the small glass tubes, one by one into the acid-filled container...

...

The mansion was packed, the greenish youth was crouching beside a being that would be impossible to mistake for any other, _The Living Mummy_. Marcus nodded respectfully toward the giant, after all, he _was_ royalty, King of the long-dead Swarili tribe. The mummy nodded back, and Todd jumped onto his shoulders, no mean feat as he was only about 5'2" tall and N'Kantu was 7'4".

Marcus suddenly recognized him, "You're the_ Toad_, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir." Toad didn't know what else to say. This man was richer than God _and_ the pissed-off father of one of his few friends. He was arguably the reason Thomas was in this mess, he'd been protecting him, after all. He was rich enough to put a hit on him and get away with it.

Marcus didn't know what to think, this boy was a criminal, an agent of Magneto. But that didn't matter at the moment, this was about Thomas.

Thomas suddenly grabbed his father's arm and yanked him back, almost pulling him down.

"What the Hell?!"

"I'm sorry, but you almost ran into Tar Baby."

"_Who?_"

He turned to see a tall, thin man in ragged clothing standing about a foot away. His entire body was covered in a thick, black substance reminiscent of molasses or tar. Numerous small objects were stuck to his skin: paper, pencils, a hairbrush, bits of clothing, leaves and fabric. A collision with _this_ mutant would almost certainly be disastrous

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't..." Tar Baby began.

"No, it was my fault, I wasn't paying attention." Marcus shook his head, "Thank you Thomas."

They walked on, following the professor to his office.

...

"You threatened a teacher to defend _Toad_?" Marcus was stunned, his son threatening a man's life for insulting a _terrorist_?

"He's not what you think, dad. He's just a kid with problems, and Scott's a dick.. I mean, he's a jerk. He was trying to provoke them into fighting so he could throw them out into the streets."

"Things are rarely black and white, Mr. Salmons. Toad and the others are not 'bad' kids _per se_, they've been abused and manipulated by Magneto and his servant, Mystique. But after seeing what he did to Mr. Stryker, they refused to serve him any longer. I've given them shelter, and hopefully, a chance to turn their lives around."

Marcus turned to his son, "How close are you to The Brotherhood, Thomas?"

Thomas shrugged, "We're friends, at least Todd, Freddy and Lance. Wanda and Pietro have been so worried about their father and the awful things he's done we haven't really had a chance to spend any time together."

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. He could accept the friendship with mutants, but mutants who were known _criminals_. But, then, many of the people he knew at The Hellfire Club were openly committing criminal acts, from cheating on their taxes to quietly supporting foreign conflicts that killed hundreds of thousands of people. And he was beginning to suspect that Sebastian Shaw was not the honest businessman man he portrayed himself to be, particularly after the fiasco at The capitol and his production of The Mark V Sentinel.

"Do you trust them?"

"Yes. I do."

"Has anyone here ever threatened you?"

"No. I mean, there are plenty of people who don't like me, Evan, Glob Herman, Quentin and Scott are dic-I mean jerks, but they've never threatened me. Well, Scott did, but he didn't mean it. Probably."

"Perhaps you should speak to some of Thomas' friends." Xavier suggested.

...

Marcus looked around the small room and immediately recognized his son's bed, the pillows at the foot rather than the headboard. A bookshelf held his collection of Egyptian art and a few books, a book entitled _Egyptian Hieroglyphics for Dummies_ was sitting on his bed.

He looked toward the handsome blond youth.

Ray Crisp.

_Berzerker_.

He did not 'look' like a mutant, but he had incredible control over electrical energies.

"How would you describe my son?"

"Nice. Generous, a bit awkward. But he tries hard to fit in and make friends."

"Has he ever threatened you?"

"No. Never. We get along great. When we have problems, we can go to each other and talk. We kid around a bit, but he's the best roommate I've had."

"Have you seen him threaten anyone?"

Ray hated to say it, but it was already common knowledge, "Yes, sir. He threatened to kill Scott Summers when he was trying to provoke The Brotherhood, but I don't believe he would actually go through with it. When he saw those terrorists on the news destroying museums and ancient relics he was so mad I think he _would_ have killed _them_ if he'd had the chance."

Marcus smiled thinly, "I doubt he's alone in that."

"How would you describe Toad?"

Ray shrugged, "Todd, he's... Well, he's... Since he's not here, I might as well be honest . He's needy, lonely and pitiful. Outside of The Brotherhood, he's never had anyone who cared about him. He actually tried to join The X-Men once, but Scott and some of the others drove him off. He lived in a dump and had a mean, vindictive 'guardian' who couldn't care less about him or any of the others. Magneto thinks the The Brotherhood are jokes, and uses them as cannon fodder. I hate to say it, but Todd's just a pathetic kid who's really desperate for somebody, _anybody_, to care about him. That's why Tom's so protective of him, he can't stand to see someone treated like that. He's just wants to help people who are less fortunate."

Richard smiled, That sounded like the Thomas he knew.

...

"With all due respect, Mr. Salmons, your son is a rude, disrespectful menace." Scott was still in a mood over Thomas' threats, and not very diplomatic, "He's too trusting towards the enemy and hostile towards people that are trying to help him. From the moment he met Toad he's been... _Fixated_ on him. And he's thinks I'm The Devil because I don't trust those delinquents."

"Maybe if you gave them a_ fair chance_, he'd respect you more." Richard replied.

"They already had a chance, and they blew it!"

"And how many chances have _you_ been given, Mr. Summers?"

Scott pointed to his bruised jaw, "That little... I mean Thomas, gave me this, then he threatened to kill me."

"You didn't answer my question, Summers."

"I don't have to tell anything to a Hellfire Club stooge."

Scott never saw the punch coming before he was flat on his butt, holding his busted lip.

"Well, I'm convinced it was justifiable." Richard said calmly.

In an instant Scott was on his feet, swinging. Richard was well-trained in combat, and evaded the blow. Just as the two were about to break into a real fight a loud 'snickt' caught their attention.

"Stop it. Both a' you."

Wolverine held up a hand, adamantium claws extended. The two wisely stood down, but glared at each other angrily.

"Ya' just don't know when to quit, eh Summers?" Wolverine smiled. He didn't particularly care who was in the right, he just didn't like Scott. They were both vying for Jean's affections, and Scott, being younger and better looking, was winning.

"My apologies." Mr. Salmons nodded toward Scott. He was not sorry by any means for his sons' outbursts, but he understood the need for peaceful resolutions.

Richard just smirked.

Wolverine extended a hand and they shook it, Marcus rather warily. "Tom's a great kid. He's just goin' through a rough patch in life. They all do."

"Thank you. I saw you on television. That cyborg woman wounded you badly, but I don't see a mark on you. How is that possible?"

"Y' see, I have a healin' factor. I can recover from darn near anything. I've been shot, stabbed, impaled, burned... My body jus' wont give up the ghost. But your here to talk about Thomas. He's pretty sharp, and cares about other people. He just needs a bit more self-control."

...

"Tom? He's great. He's smart, _agudo_ and loyal. I'm proud to have him watchin' my back."

"He's never threatened you?"

"No. We're _Amigos_. He has a temper, but a lotta' the kids do." Angelo sighed, "But, he does have a problem. He thinks he's weak."

"Weak?" Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, his power is pure _muerte_, he can' use it in battle without killin', so he can' fight, ya know? So he feels like he can' help nobody... He don' wanna' kill nobody, not really. But all of this craziness is wearin' 'im down."

"Craziness? You mean the protestors?"

"_Si_. We were pretty much under siege for 'bout a week. Church of Humanity. That kinda' thing is hard ta' deal with."

...

"Thomas is very kind, but he has a problem with certain people, like Scott. He also has a temper, but I have not witnessed it personally. He once told me that he only fights people he wants to fight, that no one will _make_ him fight someone he doesn't want to. He was talking about a video game character at the time, Demyx from_ Kingdom Hearts,_ if I recall correctly. Yes, because Ray kidded him about not wanting to hurt guys with mullets."

Richard couldn't help but laugh at Broo's story, "Yeah, I remember, I ragged on him about that too. He threatened to kick my teeth in."

"That's exactly what he told Ray. He was joking, of course."

...

"Uh... Uhm..." Todd squirmed a bit in his chair, clearly intimidated, "We met in the mall, yo. He an' Ray was shopping for clothes, and offered to buy me some new clothes, because mine were all trashed. I said I didn't need charity, we joked around and then Scott showed up and got mad and dragged him off. A week or so later he saved my tail from getting busted by Scott, then, when our house fell down, he lent me some of his clothes. Then he bought me new clothes, he bought all of us new clothes and things, yo. I talked with 'im, ta' find out _why_, ya' know, he said he couldn't stand seein' people livin' with nuthin' while he had so much. He's a great guy, he doesn't look down on us, or treat us like were gonna' blow up the joint. But, when those idiots were protestin' outside the stress started to get to him, and he got scary..."

"_Scary?_" Marcus had never imagined Tom as 'scary.'

"He never threatened me, yo. But he was angry with a lot of people, when Mystique showed up, he thought she'd come to force us ta' come back, and threatened to kill her is she didn't leave us alone. When he found out she jus' wanted to see her kid, he got real upset. He felt terrible about threatening her, especially since Fuzzy-Butt is a friend of his."

"_Fuzzy-Butt?_"

"Kurt. _Nightcrawler_."

"The furry blue kid." Richard clarified.

"Have you accepted many 'gifts' from my son?" Marcus didn't want anyone taking advantage of his son's generosity.

"Just a couple pairs of clothes, includin' the ones I'm wearin', a hoodie and these sneakers. I was embarrassed to take it, but I didn't have much choice, we lost almost everything when our house was destroyed."

Marcus had to admit, the scrawny youth certainly _looked_ pathetic. He could see why Thomas would pity him, he was underweight, unattractive, uncouth and had a distinctive, unpleasant smell. He likely had few, if any, people who were willing to offer him anything but scorn and abuse.

But he had also worked for Magneto. He might be pitiful, but he was still a criminal.

"Have you left The Brotherhood?"

"Naw. The Brotherhood left Magneto. We're still like family, yo. We take care of each other, we just don't follow that _nut-job_ Magneto anymore. He ain't worth it, especially not after how he treated his _own_ kids..."

"Is Magneto still alive?"

"Yes, sir. But he's half-dead. Selene sucked most a' the life outta' him, aged 'im, made him really old. They're tryin' to save 'im, but it don' look good."

"Who's trying to save him?"

"Doctor McCoy and Sugarman."

"Don't they work for Xavier?"

"Yeah. He's the kinda' guy who can't just let anyone die, even enemies, yo."

_Xavier, helping Magneto? Perhaps I should be worried about _him_..._

...

"He is one of the few people I have encountered since my... _Transformation_ to treat me as a human being rather than a monster or a sideshow curiosity. He and some of the other children enjoy listening to my stories, learning about my people, my life. He has shown no fear of me whatsoever. He is highly intelligent and open-minded. I have never seen him act aggressively, but I have not known him long."

Marcus could barely believe that he was actually speaking with a three-thousand year old mummy, even though he was standing within four feet of him.

"He does not seem the kind to be truly capable of harming someone, unless it was in defense of another."

"That seems to be the problem, from what I gather, he's _always_ on the defensive." Richard observed.

...

After speaking to Tom's friends and teachers, there was one logical place to go,

Thomas sat on his bed, Ray was out, so they had a measure of privacy.

"We talked to your friends, and Mr. Summers." Marcus grimaced as he spoke Scott's name, "Now I want to hear your side of the story."

Thomas shrugged, "What can I say? I get... _Angry_."

"Do you think that you are weak?"

Thomas shrugged again, "I am weak. Look at Ray, or Kyle or even Todd. They can fight, they have powers that help them take on just about anything. My powers? I can see in the dark and bite people with my tongue, which will _kill_ them. I can't fight sentinels or Reavers or even humans."

"There's more to it than fighting, you know. If you can see in the dark, you can do recon, intel..." Richard paused, "Do you _want_ to fight?"

"No. I wish nobody fought each other. But I don't like feeling like a third wheel. I feel useless. If something bad happened, I'd just be in the way."

"You're smart. You can help out that way. You can speak at least three languages and read five, including Egyptian hieroglyphics, if that bookmark is any indication." He indicated the book, with a bookmark placed many pages from the cover, "Who else here, outside of N'Kantu, can do that? You also have a fair knowledge of the occult, if they have to deal with something like a vampire or a coven, you'll know what to do."

"Maybe."

"Do you know you get so angry?"

"I just don't like people pushing others around, especially people weaker than they are. The Brotherhood want a better life, but people like Scott don't want to even give them a _chance_ to change. They treat them like scum, like The Church of Stupidity treats mutants."

"Yes, we... _Met_ Mr. Summers. Richard punched him in the face."

Thomas broke out laughing, that harsh, metallic sound filling the small room. Richard couldn't help it, he started laughing too.

Marcus turned the conversation back to more serious matters, "What about The Church of Humanity?"

"I hate them. They twist _The Bible_, on the rare occasions they actually _use_ it, to make it look like mutants are The Devil's Spawn. They're just more idiots who think God wants them to kill everyone who is different from them. They believe more in William Stryker's words than in Jesus' teachings. They're nothing but filthy, hypocritical apostates. _No_, that's not right, to be an apostate you have to actually have_ belonged_ to the religion you're defiling. These people were never Christians in any sense of the word."

"Yeah, that pretty much describes those idiots." Richard said lightly.

"Why did you befriend Toad?" Marcus asked.

"Because he _needs_ friends. A lot of people won't give him a chance. He's really a good guy, once you get to know him, and we get along well."

"He's also a criminal."

"He's trying to reform, he just needs a chance."

"Did you know that he's afraid of _you_?"

Thomas face fell. He sat silently for a moment, a stricken look on his face.

Finally, he spoke.

"He's _afraid_ of me?"

"Only when you're angry. And he's not the only one..."

Thomas set his head in his hands, "God..."

Marcus put a hand on his son's shoulder, something he hadn't done in far too long. "He considers you a friend, he's just worried that you'll lose control. He's worried about you."

"So am I." Thomas 'voice' was a high tremor.

"I'm sorry, Thomas. You're going through something terrible, and I haven't been there for you. I've always been... _Unfair_ toward mutants, and I didn't want to deal with it. I should have been here for you. For _both_ of you."

...

"Well, have you reached a conclusion?"

"Yes. You are aiding and abetting a terrorist, professor. Not The Brotherhood, _Magneto_ himself." Marcus took a deep breath, "But right now Thomas is more important. From what I gather, he has anger issues and low self-confidence. He also has some very good friends, good, trustworthy kids."

Richard smiled, "And your Scott Summers_ is_ a dick."

"Yes, I heard of the..._ Incident_ with Scott. That aside, we need to help your son cope with these issues."

"I think we all agree on that. Thomas included. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, he just wants to feel useful. And he wants to make a difference. For some reason he's taken up defending The Brotherhood, he thinks they are being treated unfairly, and he's probably right, but he overreacts. _Badly_. He recognizes that he has a problem and wants to change." Marcus paused for a moment, "I need to change, too. If I had been there for him, when he needed me most, he might not be in this situation."

"Rest assured, Mr. Salmons, I'll take good care of him."

"What about this 'siege'? Do you have defenses?"

"Yes, while it may not look like it, this mansion and its grounds are protected by extremely advanced technology and well-trained fighters."

Richard coughed lightly, "Someone blew up the school a while back, with some of the kids in it. I remember Ray from the news report because he blew up two police cars to cover their escape... How can we be sure that won't happen again?"

Xavier frowned, "We've put protocols in place to protect ourselves, and we're guarding against another such attack, even though those specific circumstances are unlikely to happen again. But nothing is certain in life, Richard. As a professional soldier, you know this better than I do. Nowhere is_ truly_ safe, especially for mutants."

"True, but I wish him to be as safe as possible." Marcus replied.

"As do I and very member of our staff, including Scott. They may butt heads, but Scott would risk his life to protect your son, and any other student here."

"Including Todd?"

"Scott may have a low opinion of the boy, he would not allow him to be murdered, or even seriously harmed. He may be a 'dick' as you so eloquently put it, but he's not the kind of man who could willingly leave _anyone_ in danger." He paused for a few moments, "Do you intend to inform the authorities about Magneto?"

Marcus shrugged, "He is beyond their reach, for the time being. I will tell them that he is still alive, if only barely. As much as I pity his children, I'm afraid that I cannot bring myself to wish him good health. He's a terrorist and a murderer, no better than that duplicitous wretch Donald Pierce. If he dies, I won't shed tears for him."

To be continued...

Notes-

_Agudo_ \- Witty

No, Thomas is NOT in love with Todd. Or Ray, or anyone else.

I didn't want to make a chapter solely devoted to Thomas' and his 'virtues', I don't want him to be a Gary-Stu, but I've put him in a state where I need to try to explain _why_ he's acting the way he is.


	26. Chapter 26

Snakehead

26

Todd hopped onto Thomas' chair, "Do you think your dad would have me rubbed out, yo?"

Thomas smiled, "No. He might break your kneecaps, though." He laughed, "My dad's not a_ mobster_. He doesn't have people 'rubbed out'. Now _Richard_, he's a mercenary, a trained killer..."

Todd grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Rick's cool! He sure popped Summers good, yo! Between the two of you, I'm surprised he ain't got a broken jaw!"

"Hell of a family, Salmons." Ray smirked.

"We Salmons have a long and distinguished history of wealth, decadence and poor judgement."

"You Salmons like to swim upstream, yo."

All three boys got a good laugh out of that.

"So, you really thought my dad would kill you? _Why_?"

"'Cause I'm a criminal and I hang out with you."

"A criminal? At worst you're a petty thief and a vandal. The Hellfire Club is full of _real_ criminals."

"_Petty_ thief? I'm a darn_ good_ thief, yo!"

"Have you ever ripped off the treasury of an entire_ country_?"

"Nope, but I stole Summer's shades once!"

"And he didn't kill you?"

"He couldn't catch me!"

...

"As much as I desire to save Magneto's life, granting him a healing factor on par with Sabertooth could be disastrous."

"You think to small, Hank. I've already weakened the culture, it will restore his vitality, nothing more. Though he may not need to worry about cutting himself shaving for a while." Sugarman chuckled. He was the world's foremost genetic engineer, he read DNA like other people read novels. It was fairly easy for him to isolate and utilize Creed's healing factor to aid in Magneto's recovery, the hard part was getting the perfect balance. Saving Erik while preventing him from transforming into a second Sabertooth with all of Magneto's powers...

...

"Hey, Ray. How do you think I'd look with a mohawk?"

"Ridiculous."

"A mullet?"

"Even more ridiculous."

"A _fauxhawk_?"

Ray considered for a moment.

"Maybe..." He smiled, "I can give your hair a little help in that regard." He held up a hand crackling with electrical energy.

Thomas shook his head, "Gel, _not_ lightning."

"You're no fun."

"What about Liberty Spikes like Tar Baby?"

"Next you'll suggest a pompadour."

"Hey, that's a pretty neat style..."

"And people say _I_ have poor fashion sense..."

...

The Acolytes, X-Men and Maximoff twins had managed to squeeze into Magneto's medical suite, though Sugarman's bulk made it an uncomfortable fit, to say the least. They watched in amazement as Magneto's flesh regained its color, the wrinkles smoothed away and the angry red mark on his neck faded into nothing. It was a medical miracle...

...

He remembered it all. The Pale Man with his burning, blood-draining hands, the whip. The sensation of life and vitality being sucked away as if through a straw. Flames, Pyro...

He'd been saved by _Pyro_, of all people.

St. John Allerdyce.

The weakest of The Acolytes.

"Dad?"

It was Pietro's voice. What was Pietro doing here?

His eyes flickered open.

The room was crowded, Pietro, Wanda, The Acolytes... And Beast and Sugarman.

"What is this?_ X-Men_ in our base!"

"You were _dying._ They were the only people who could save you." Mystique said pointedly, "Selene drained so much of your life-force that you were little more than a shell. They designed a means to use Vic's healing factor to save you."

"To be honest, Mr. Lensherr, it was Miss Darkholme who suggested the procedure." Sugarman admitted humbly.

Magneto sat up in his bed, "Why did you not take me to Xavier's estate, rather than bringing his pawns to _our_ lair?"

"Father. These people saved your life! And you're treating them like the enemy!"

"This does not concern you, Wanda!" He snarled.

"He's right, Wanda. This doesn't concern us." Pietro's voice was filled with a quiet rage, "Nothing this... _Man_ does is our concern anymore."

Pietro took his sister's hand and walked toward the door.

Magneto looked at the twins in confusion. "Pietro? Come back here! You are my children!"

"Our father died a long time ago..." Wanda's voice was cold as ice.

"Pietro! Wanda!"

But they were gone.

...

The ride back to The Xavier Institute was a silent one. They had accomplished their mission, in a way. They had saved Magneto's life, but his children were still without a father...

...

Todd stopped short in the hall as he saw the familiar blue-skinned figure approaching. He let out a loud yelp and prepared to flee.

"Wait! Todd!"

Despite his better judgement, he didn't run away.

"I... I'm sorry. You kids deserved better than me."

Mystique _apologizing!_

Todd nearly stumbled over his own feet, "Uh, don't worry 'bout it, yo... I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be. You shouldn't have to live like that."

He shrugged, "That's life. Sometimes you're the tire, sometimes you're the toad."

To her credit Mystique did not laugh at the analogy.

"You here ta' see Fuzzy-bu- I mean Kurt?"

"Yes. There's a lot I need to say to him."

As she passed Todd hopped away in confusion and fear, why was Mystique being nice? What did she want?

...

As it happened, she wanted to see her son.

"Are you going back?"

She ran a hand though his blue-black hair, "I have no choice. But this will be the last time..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I should never have left you. I know that it's too late to make up for what I've done to you, what I _haven't_ done for you, you are my son. If I were to turn my back again, I would be worse than Magneto..."

"_Mater?_"

She smiled, "I don't deserve that title. But I intend to be a better person, starting with one of the very few things I've done that I'm proud of, bringing you into the world. I want to be here for you, if you'll have me."

Kurt smiled, revealing pearly white fangs.

...

"Raven. Do you really want to go back?"

She sighed, "Charles, I..." She hung her head, "I'm a terrible mother to Kurt, and I've been little more than a brutal drill sergeant to The Brotherhood. I have no right to judge. But I do judge him. Magneto is a vain, pompous megalomaniac who wants power for himself. He doesn't care about anyone else... But I'll go back. To see if the others agree with me. I won't leave them there with _him_."

"He'll try to stop you." Xavier warned.

"It's about time I stood up for _something_ in my life. I sacrificed my son out of weakness, abused The Brotherhood out of frustration, and served a madman out of desperation... It's time I did something for the _right_ reasons."

Charles Xavier took her hand, "Good luck, Miss. Darkholme."

"Thank you, Charlie." She winked at him and gave a smile, "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." As she walked toward the ship she turned her head slightly, "Oh, and Charlie, don't think this means I'm on your side. I still think you're wrong. I just think Magneto is worse..."

...

There wasn't much celebration in The X-Mansion.

Pietro and Wanda, and by extension the entire Brotherhood, were in a state of semi-shock. Even Todd couldn't think of anything to say to cheer them up, and he wasn't willing to flirt with Wanda, both out of respect and out of the knowledge that in her current state she was fully capable of killing him...

Evan was still trying to cope with Bloodscream's death at his hands. He was overcome by remorse and mainly stayed in his room, only a few of his closest friends, like Ray, were able to speak with him. He was having personal therapy sessions with Xavier, but was still reclusive.

Thomas was undergoing therapy as well, though his problems seemed inconsequential, to him, compared with those of the others. He didn't get along well with Evan, even if he was Ray's friend, but he felt for him. The Maximoff Twins' troubles were heartbreaking but beyond his ability to deal with. He didn't know them well enough or understand their situation or pain to be able to offer any meaningful comfort.

He was a kid, not a psychologist. It was all he could do to hold himself together half the time.

...

"You're leaving?"

N'Kantu nodded in assent. _I must fulfill my duties to Anubis.__ I would not harvest any souls here._ He smiled. _Goodbye, all of you. You have been most kind._

"You know that you are welcome here at any time." Professor Xavier shook N'Kantu's hand.

_Thank you._

"Wait," Thomas smiled and held out a book, "I thought you might want this."

It was a copy of the ancient, mystical guide to the Egyptian Afterlife, _The_ _Book of The Dead._

"Who knows, maybe there's a spell or something in here you might be able to use..."

_Thank you, Thomas. I'm sure that it will prove useful to me._

Though N'Kantu was Swarili, not Egyptian, his people had adopted Egyptian religious beliefs while enslaved, and N'Kantu had personally spoke with Anubis, god of embalming and The Afterlife. So he considered the gift a most generous one.

"Be careful out there, yo!"

_And you as_ _well._

He paused, _I am sorry for your pain, Wanda. You and your brother deserve far better than you have been given.__  
_

"Thank you, N'Kantu."

The group watched as The Living Mummy walked away.

...

To be continued...


	27. Chapter 27

Snakehead

27

"So, you're going back?"

"Yeah, Ray. You know I can't stay here. I'm not like you." Scaleface shook her head, "I just don't fit in."

In her human form, Scaleface could easily pass for a human girl with blue-black hair, but it wasn't her appearance that held her back.

"I'd protect you." Ray said firmly.

Scaleface laughed, "I'm sorry. I know you really mean that, but you have to take care of yourself, and help Xavier. I'd be a burden."

Ray wrapped his arms around her, "You could never be a burden to me, you know that." His green eyes were gleaming, though he was too proud to let any treacherous tears fall.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I'm just... Not ready for the topside..." She too held back the unwanted tears.

"I'll be here, if you change your mind."

They stood there for a moment, locked in a quiet embrace...

...

By the time Magneto realized that something was wrong it was too late.

The Acolytes had abandoned him.

Even John.

His children had disowned and disavowed him.

The Brotherhood had joined the enemy.

His glorious mutant army consisted of exactly one.

_Himself._

No matter... He could gather another army. A loyal, powerful army. Humanity would not prevail.

The future belonged to Homo Superior.

...

"We don't want to be in debt to The Hellfire Club."

"I assure you, Callisto, I am working on my own on this one." Richard stated calmly, "If you must return to the tunnels, you need a security system. The others know you're down here, you need to be prepared."

"We don't like outsiders, or trust them. Even if you are marrying Tommy."

Tommy shook her head, "Not_ everyone_ is out to get us, Callisto."

Richard Salmons sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I just want to help. I know that you can defend yourselves, but you need something to warn you if anti-mutant idiots are crawling through the tunnels."

He had brought state-of -the art motion detection devices and small, discreet devices to let The Morlocks monitor their home. He also brought with him plans for storm doors and high-tech energy shields to keep opponents at bay.

But The Morlocks had learned from long, hard experience not to trust anyone but themselves, especially outsiders bearing gifts.

"Did your brother send you?" Scaleface asked.

"No, it was me." Tommy said softly, " I was worried about you, especially after what happened last month."

"We should contact Xavier, make sure this is on the level..."

...

Sebastian Shaw realized as soon as he stepped into The Inner Circle's chamber that his reign was over. The first not-so-subtle hint was the trim, well-dressed Eurasian youth sitting on the throne of The White King.

"Hello, Father." Shinobi Shaw's voice had a slightly mocking tone to it, "Since we never had any real _quality_ time together, since you were always away, I decided to come to you." He grinned, "_Surprise._"

"I imagine it is," Warren Worthington III, seated on the throne of The White Bishop, remarked dryly.

Even as he tried to take this in he noted the figure who now sat on The Black Queen's throne. The blue skin and white hair was unmistakeable. Mystique simply nodded.

Before he could object to the fact that Raven Darkholme held neither wealth nor noble heritage, that he knew of, he noticed with dread that the throne of The Black King, _his_ throne, held another.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian," He heard Harry Leland's voice from his seat as Black Bishop, "For the record, I voted for you."

...

Thomas was pleased that the 'sewer' in which the Morlocks lived were actually old maintenance tunnels and storm runoff systems. It was doubtless unpleasant during the wetter months, but they'd constructed diversionary channels, dams and water traps to prevent flooding. The Morlocks were the epitome of the self-sustaining society, if they needed room, Cybelle would use her acidic powers or Scaleface or Mole their claws to widen it out. It was a dirty, dark place in which to shelter, but it was shelter nonetheless.

It was also something of an adventure for Thomas, who'd never been in such a place, full of dark, twisting stone tunnels and mysterious nooks and crannies.

"Hey, Ray." Thomas' mechanical voice echoed loudly through the empty tunnel.

"Yeah?" Ray was affixing a motion sensor to the wall of a small tunnel with a powerful resin made from Tar Baby's dermal secretions. His 'tar' was a fairly permanent adhesive, and many Morlocks bore a bit of the black substance stuck to their clothing. It could, of course, be removed it necessary, using certain chemicals, but they had no one they wanted or needed to impress. Every Morlock played a part in the community, even if it was a small one.

"What happens if some homeless person wanders in here?"

"They usually stay near the entrance, where it's safer. For humans, at least. If they come in too far we... _They_, hide. No one has ever accidentally stumbled on The Morlocks' home."

Thomas was glad now that he could see in the dark, it made working in The Tunnels so much easier. They were walking the outer tunnels, where early warnings would do the most good.

A number of X-Students were helping with the renovation/fortification of The Tunnels, though it clearly made the isolationist Morlocks uncomfortable having so many outsiders in their home. Only the ones they knew well, Like Ray and Evan were allowed in. Thomas suspected that he was there as leverage in case Richard tried anything, but he was happy to help.

Evan seemed a bit more at ease here, working helped take his mind off of his problems for a while. Therapy and the help of good friends was making a real difference, but it was clear that he would never be the same. No one can take a life without being changed in some way or another.

Thomas was glad Xavier had forced him not to harm Mystique, with his already fragile psyche, he'd have probably gone insane.

"This Duncan person, what's he look like?"

Ray looked at him curiously, "Why?"

"I don't want to run into him in the street without knowing what he looks like. I don't need trouble."

"Right now, from what I understand, he's got a few broken ribs. But he's tall, blonde, a jock..."

"Kind of like you?"

"I didn't say 'handsome', did I?" He grinned, "So, all the girls loved him, even though he was a_ total_ dick. He was always picking on the weaker mutants and trying to get Jean to go out with him. We scrapped a few times, and we were both athletes, I was into basketball, he was star quarterback on the football team. Even before he found out what I was he hated me, hated all of us, except Jean... When everybody found out we were mutants, Duncan Matthews was one of the first to sign up with The Friends of Humanity." He shrugged, "I've got a yearbook, he's got his picture in there, captain of the football team, Homecoming King. Most likely to join The Nazi Party. You get the picture."

"So, your stereotypical all-American boy-next-door who likes to beat up mutants and burn crosses and X's on peoples' lawns." Thomas wasn't impressed.

"Pretty much."

Thomas set a sensor into another stone wall.

"He a good fighter?"

"If you're Todd or Pietro without their powers. He picks on people smaller and weaker than he is, he even picked on Scott."

For once Thomas felt himself siding with Scott Summers in a fight.

"I've taken him down a couple of times, especially since getting training with The X-Men. He's strong and throws a mean punch, but he's not that great at fighting, at least, not fighting fair."

"Luckily, I don't fight fair. My knee and his crotch might make a good fit."

Ray chuckled, "Remind me never to make you mad."

...

Robert Kelly screamed in frustration. His closest allies, his most generous supporters had turned out to be an insane cyborg terrorist and a mutant. He didn't know which was worse for his campaign. His opponents had pounced, those supporting mutants held up Pierce as a warning of what Kelly was capable of, while the anti-mutant hardliners blasted his alliance with mutants like Shaw and Selene. His approval rating had fallen like an executioner's blade.

He'd been ignorant of it all. He'd known that Pierce was a cyborg, but the leader and creator of The Reavers? And Shaw, a mutant? The man manufactured _sentinels_ for God's sake! How could he have known he was a mutant? And he'd barely known Selene...

There were already hearings being drawn up, committees to find out what he knew, when he'd known it. But he hadn't known anything! When they were done, he'd be lucky if he was sweeping up floors. He couldn't go back to his job as principle, he'd heard enough remarks about what would happen if he did from irate parents on all sides of the political spectrum.

He cursed mutants, cyborgs, reporters and political pundits with equal vehemence.

...

Callisto still didn't like it, but she really had no choice. It was a good plan, one she'd wanted to implement for years, but lacking money and with few Morlocks possessing technical skills, they hadn't been able to put in a security system.

It wasn't the idea that galled her but its' source and nature. Why would the son of a multi-billionaire care about Morlocks? And not just one son, but _two_. What did two rich surface-dwellers care? She'd distrusted Richard when Tommy had first introduced them, that was her nature. She couldn't afford to trust people. She knew Thomas fairly well after the siege of The X-Mansion, and he seemed a nice kid. A little too nice, if he ever inherited his father's fortune he'd likely give it all to charity within a week. The fact that he was Ray's roommate and Tommy's future brother-in-law made him even more sympathetic to The Morlocks. Being insanely wealthy made some people insanely generous. _The Guilty Rich_, people who felt they didn't deserve the advantages they had and wanted to ease their consciences by helping the 'less-fortunate'.

_Charity._

Or worse,_ pity._

Not that he didn't mean well, but it was still embarrassing. It implied that one couldn't take care of themselves. Charity was for the weak and truly disadvantaged, not Morlocks.

It was bad enough to have to rely on Xavier for essential supplies like medicine, but now private individuals donating very expensive equipment?

They were fortunate, though. The mob that had entered the sewers hadn't found The Alley, the main dwelling area, and the damage was limited to obscene and bigoted graffiti and a lot of trash. It could be easily removed, but the fear and the knowledge that outsiders, hostile outsiders, had violated their home would be with them for a long, long time.

...

To be continued...

Shinobi Shaw is canon. He is the son of Sebastian Shaw and a Japanese woman who is not his wife. Sebastian pretty much abandoned him and his mother, and I think he actually beat him when he was around. Shinobi naturally became bitter. He tried to kill his father, thought he had succeeded and became The White King for a few months before daddy came back. Shinobi later turned up as one of Selene's undead slaves in that wretched _Necrosha_ travesty of a story arc, but I'm not sure if it was his father or someone else who killed him. As I consider_ Necrosha_ trash, much like _The X-Treme_ _X-Men_, I don't count it as canon. Shinobi has the powers of Shadowcat, being able to phase through solid objects, and used them to dramatic effect when he reached into his father's chest, grabbed his heart and held on until it stopped beating. Unfortunately for him, he didn't hold on long enough... He was in his early twenties, so for Evolution he'd probably be in his late teens.

Mystique didn't say she'd reform, only that she wouldn't follow Magneto. She sees The Hellfire Club as a chance to further mutant rights. And she hasn't forgotten about Kurt, she intends to spend a lot of time with him from now on.

Who is on The Black King's throne? I honestly don't know yet.


	28. Chapter 28

Snakehead

28

Thomas looked down at his ringing cell phone in surprise, "You get service down here?"

Ray shrugged, "Sometimes. Now answer it before the whole city hears it."

It was Richard.

Due to the echoes off the tunnel walls, Ray didn't have to wait to hear what was being said.

"Tom. _Mystique_ just joined The Hellfire Club."

"_WHAT?!_" Both boys shouted in unison.

"Mystique has joined The Hellfire Club. In disguise, of course. I don't know how or why, but she's here. I think she's in The Inner Circle. And Shaw's out."

"What do you mean?"

"They kicked him out. I don't know why, most likely for drawing too much unwanted attention. His kid, Shinobi Shaw seems to have taken his place."

"Shaw's a very dangerous man, how could they just 'kick him out'?" Thomas asked.

"I'm afraid to ask. I've already said too much..."

"Yeah..." Thomas was stunned, Sebastian Shaw was in many ways The Hellfire Club itself. He was the leader of a council that had the power, money and connections to buy continents. Once again he wished that Richard had not chosen the life of a mercenary, especially one in the employ of The Hellfire club. "Be careful, Rick."

"I will."

"Well, now _everyone_ in The Tunnels knows about it..." Ray noted. "She said she was leaving Magneto, that she wanted more time with Kurt. Why join The Hellfire Club?"

"You don't understand The Hellfire Club, Ray. They pretty much rule the world. 99 out of 100 of the world's richest people belong to The Club, they can do anything. _Anything._ Start wars, topple governments, rig elections. People think their votes matter, but they don't. The President answers to The Inner Circle..."

"Do you know this Shinobi Shaw?"

"No, but I heard Sebastian ran around with a lot of women. From his name I'd guess Shinobi's mother's Japanese."

"A Shinobi's a _Ninja_, right?"

"Basically." He picked up the nearly empty bag of sensors, "We have to get this finished. If you want to call Xavier, you can use my phone, but he probably already knows."

...

"If you don't stop ogling me, Shinobi Shaw, I _will_ neuter you."

Shinobi stiffened in his chair.

Emma Frost might be an incredibly sexy woman, but she was the one who'd put him in The Inner Circle, and removed his father. He couldn't afford to anger her. He could very well lose far more than just his position in such circumstances...

_That's right, Shinobi. You're here on my sufferance._

"My apologies." He bowed slightly. "I've already made the arrangements you requested. Breaking a contract with the government is difficult, but with our resources..." He smiled, "Ladies and gentleman, as of today Shaw Industries is no longer in the sentinel business."

"At least you haven't inherited your father's_ madness_ in addition to his _lechery..._"

Shinobi had the decency to blush at that. He was very handsome, and he'd never had problems finding women. Unlike his father, however, he had no desire to commit suicide by sentinels his own company had created. "Thank you, Mr. Worthington."

He was aware that Emma had chosen him due to the simple fact that he would always follow the path of least resistance. He wanted to enjoy life, not waste it in backroom deals and tedious board meetings. So what if she manipulated him, as long as he got what he wanted as well. Within less than a week he'd gone from being the unwanted, illegitimate son of one of the richest men on earth to being himself one of the richest men on earth. All thanks to Emma Frost. And he'd gotten his revenge upon his father, seeing him mind-wiped and carted off to an isolated asylum under an assumed name.

Life was good.

"And don't ogle me, either,_ little boy_." Mystique's voice was somewhat playful, as if tempting him to do just that, "After all, I'm old enough to be your great-grandmother..."

"One would never guess, Raven-Sama." His lips twisted into a slight smirk, it was true. Mystique looked like a very young women, and he'd found that a silver tongue opened more doors than a banging fist.

_That's one door he may not wish to open._ Emma thought wryly. _It looks like I may have to protect him from his own hormones..._

...

Friedrich von Roehm's jewelry store was the most exclusive in New York, if not the world. Tommy's head seemed to swim as she looked at the impossibly large gems that glittered from every case. It was like another world, even the wealthy women in The Hellfire Club would swoon at the sight. She'd never in her wildest dreams that such a place existed, much less that she would be there as a _customer_!

Friedrich von Roehm eyed them for a moment, he didn't know Richard's face, though they'd been within a hands-breadth of one another more often than even he knew. But he recognized the girl. No one could fail to recognize a girl who looked like a walking stained glass window.

"Mr. Salmons, I'm honored that you have come _here_ to find your wedding rings." While Richard Salmons was a mercenary, he was also the son of one of the wealthiest men in the country, though Marcus was relatively middle-class by Hellfire Club standards. "Do you wish me to bring you a selection?"

"Yes, sir." Despite his wealthy upbringing and familiarity with obscene displays of priceless jewelry, this place still awed him.

von Roehm went into the back and picked up a tray of wedding rings. He had little need for a safe, the building was more heavily guarded than Fort Knox, and probably held more wealth. It gave him little pleasure, though. While Emma Frost was trying to give him a new purpose in life, a lifetime of devotion to his goddess was impossible to simply shrug off. As he walked into the showroom, he remembered the day She had arrived. Here. In his store. In his ignorance he had taken Her for a simple customer...To his eternal mortification, he had failed to recognize his own goddess! Then She had shown him the sacred amulet, and he had known that the day his ancestors had awaited had finally come to pass, the goddess Selene had returned... And now, now She was_ dead_, cut down by a Reaver's bullet in Shaw's foolish plan to kill Magneto.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry. I... I've been... I _lost_ someone recently."

Richard knew exactly who he was referring to, Selene. "I'm sorry, sir." He wasn't, not for Selene, anyway. von Roehm was most accommodating, and he felt a bit of guilt for not sharing his pain.

So it was true, in a manner of speaking.

"Thank you. Now, to the rings. I have a selection I think you might enjoy. If I may be so bold, when is the wedding?"

"June 5th, we hope."

"Congratulations my boy!" He set the tray before them, "I hope there is something here that will catch your eye."

Everything caught both of their eyes, it was impossible not to be awed.

After a few moments Richard pointed to a gold band studded with small red rubies surrounding a shining diamond the size of a button.

"What do you think of this one?" He asked

Tommy was too frightened to speak, such a place was not meant for her, she was sure. This was for a princess.

"It's... I-it's beautiful... But it's too _big_. The band, I mean. Like a_ man's_ ring."

_Like a Superbowl ring._

She was amazed that von Roehm was not at all offended by her remark. He simply continued smiling.

She then pointed out a smaller, thin band with several small diamonds and one large, but smaller than the first, diamond.

Richard smiled, "If I learned one thing from my father, it's always agree with your wife."

Richard and von Roehm laughed.

"A most excellent choice, my lady. Very petite and feminine."

...

The price was enough to buy several cars, and Richard's chosen ring was of similar value.

Tommy was amazed when he actually bought them. She felt that they were so valuable as to be dangerous to wear on her person.

Once outside the building she voiced her concerns.

"Don't worry, these are our special rings, for the wedding and formal events. We'll get more... _Modest_ wedding rings for informal occasions."

"You've already spent so much!" She protested.

"It won't be much more." He smiled reassuringly, "I want people to know we're married, but _not_ that we have that much money. Besides, I can hardly wear that big ring to work."

...

"Yes, I know." Xavier sat calmly behind his desk, "Miss Frost is assembling a new Inner Circle. While I cannot say that I approve of their treatment of the elder Mr. Shaw, they seem determined to undue the damage he has caused by means of his sentinel program."

"How do you break a _government contract_ like that?"

"_Money_, Scott. Lot's an' lot's a' money." Logan grunted, it was impossible to tell if it was a sign of amusement or annoyance, "What about the new members?"

"Young Mr. Shaw is solely concerned with pursuing his own pleasure. He has no interest in the larger world. Mystique wants to create a Hellfire Club that champions mutant's rights, a goal Miss. Frost seems to share. Mr. Worthington is simply bored, and I cannot determine anything about the new Black King, it is as if he is present, yet not there. It may be some sort of mutant or supernatural ability to cloak himself from prying minds, I cannot even see him through the minds of his fellow Lords Cardinal."

"Could just be Emma blockin' you out."

"Possibly, but why? She has been unusually open with me lately, she warned Mr. Salmons, and indirectly us, about The Reavers. And I detected young Mr. Shaw the moment his jet landed, but this new... _Man_ is an utter mystery"

"Be funny if he was _Varnae_."

"I don't think any of the Salmons family would agree with your sense of humor, Mr. Logan. Besides, I doubt a being of Varnae's power, influence and nature would work with mortals for any length of time, we are but cattle to him. Still I am not leaving out the possibility of a powerful supernatural being at work. We are talking about The_ Hellfire_ Club, after all."

"But we do have two chances at learning about this creature. The first is the fact that Mystique fully intends to return as soon as possible to see Kurt. She may be willing to tell us what we are dealing with. The second is the Salmons family, both Richard and Marcus spend a great deal of time at The Hellfire Club, and, as a guard, Richard has access to places and people the members do not. He is somewhat frightened by the changes taking place, but he is a brave and competent man. He had the courage to inform us of Shaw's fall from grace and Mystique's admission into the Club. Perhaps he can explain, assuming he knows any more than we do."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Shinobi Shaw is a rampant womanizer, every depiction I've seen of him, including trading cards, show him lounging around with several women, usually in a hot tub. He's more of a Pawn than a King, he's more concerned with having fun and spending daddy's money rather than ruling the world.

Friedrich von Roehm is still The Black Rook, but he's under The White Queen's influence now.

The members of The Inner Circle are also known as The Lords Cardinal.

Everyone's probably wondering where _Rogue_ is. To tell you the truth, I completely forgot about her when I had Mystique visit Kurt. She's probably living somewhere with Destiny.


	29. Chapter 29

Snakehead

29

Tar Baby, Ape and Torpid were sitting in a fairly large nook in the wall. Ape was a mutant shape-shifter, he could 'ape' anything. Unfortunately, his limited intellect kept him from thinking up truly useful forms, making his close friendship with Tar Baby important as well as personal. Tar Baby, while a gentle man, was protective of his friend, and didn't much like people insulting him.

Torpid was a little girl, anywhere from 4 to 6 years old, very quiet, but not mute. Thomas wondered what kind of people could throw their child, especially one so young, away. She had unnaturally large hands covered by thick gloves, and Ray knew from personal experience the touch of those hands could freeze a man in his tracks, a form of temporary paralysis. It wasn't painful, but it was unnerving and left one helpless. The older Morlocks looked after and protected her, but she would accompany them on missions when her power was needed.

Tar Baby was telling them both a story, a heavily modified version of_ Beauty and The Beast_. Thomas and Ray sat silently nearby and listened as well. It was amazing to Thomas that these people, with nothing, had built a society and lived relatively happily. Once again he noted sadly that Tar Baby, a very friendly man, could not actually touch anyone. He wondered when the last time was that he had been able to physically touch another person or thing without becoming bonded by the tar-like secretions in his skin. Still he was happy. It put a little bit of perspective on his own troubles. He could physically interact with others, and could hold a book or a figurine without ruining it. Granted, he couldn't kiss anyone, and he feared sleeping too close to another, worrying that he might bite them in his sleep...

Torpid couldn't touch anyone either, not with her hands, anyway. It had to be incredibly difficult to have to avoid contact with others, especially for a child. He'd read somewhere of lepers who had not felt the touch of another human being in years, if not decades.

It was foolish, but he felt it was the right thing to do.

Before anyone could react, Thomas walked over to Tar Baby and set a bare hand on his arm.

Tar Baby looked at him in baffled amazement, then smiled...

...

Two hours later, when The Morlocks had finally separated the two mutants...

"You must be _crazy._" Callisto shook her head.

"I suppose I am, at that." The tar-like substance was still on his hand, and he had to be careful not to try to wipe it on his clothing, "But everybody needs human contact."

Callisto scowled, but her eye showed a measure of respect. Nobody _willingly_ touched Tar Baby, not on his bare skin, anyway. It was a terribly lonely way to live, even among mutants he could never be truly a part of them. By willingly laying a hand on his arm, knowing the consequences, Thomas had shown a remarkable level of empathy. There was more to him than she had originally suspected, this was not the action of a 'slumming' rich kid.

"It seems you're a better person than I gave you credit for." She said finally.

"Thank you, but I was just -" He'd casually placed his right hand on the wall of the tunnel, to which he was now firmly fastened.

"_Oops..._"

Even Callisto had to laugh as the young mutant struggled to free his hand from the wall.

"A little help here, Ray..."

...

"That was good of you. People don't touch him, you know, not on purpose, anyway." Ray smiled, "I've never seen that look on his face before, happy and sad and _grateful_... That really meant a lot to him."

Thomas shrugged, "It just felt like the right thing to do, you know?" He was picking at bits of stone still stuck to his hand.

Scaleface and Bliss were examining a damaged section of wall as Ray and Thomas approached.

"We're going back up." Ray's voice was tinged with guilt, "You should be safer, now."

"As long as we are in The Tunnels, at least." Scaleface replied with a touch of cynicism. In order to get supplies, The Morlocks often 'liberated' property from stores, junkyards and warehouses under cover of night. Xavier's help had lessened some of the need, but there were still things that they had to risk the surface for. "We're grateful, though. Even Callisto, though she may not show it."

Ray smiled, "I know."

"Good luck in The Lion's Den..." Bliss smiled.

"You too." Thomas replied.

...

"What did you think?"

Ray and Thomas were walking toward the pick-up point where they would meet up with the others and climb to the surface, then go back to the mansion

"It was actually nice," Thomas replied, "I hope our work will help them." He shook his head, "It really says something about society that nice, gentle people are forced to hide in the sewers to escape persecution, simply because they're 'different'."

"When I first joined The Morlocks, I was surprised that there were _any_ nice people left." Ray mused, "My own family had rejected me, my friends, everyone... To have someone accept me for what I was probably saved my life."

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen."

Thomas shook his head sadly, "You're what, eighteen now?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you from, originally?"

"New York. I wandered for a while, trying to get away from the hate. Then Caliban and Callisto found me, brought me to The Morlocks."

"It must have been hard to leave."

"It was... Very _painful_..."

Thomas decided to change the subject slightly, "Torpid?"

"They found her in a dumpster. What kind of sick person throws away a _baby_?"

Thomas changed the subject again, "So, how did you go to school?"

"I'd crawl out and go to class. I know it sounds weird, but it might surprise you how many school kids are actually homeless."

Thomas smiled sadly, "I give up. _Everything's_ screwed to hell..."

Ray shrugged, "Not everything. When you lump it all together, yeah, it sounds like the whole world sucks. But we've had good times, too. We even have parties on special occasions. Callisto may seem like a hard-case, but she really cares about The Morlocks. She just doesn't trust people, she's been hurt too much, and she wants to protect them."

Thomas considered for a moment, "Hey, do you have a driver's license?"

"Yeah, but I don't have a car..." His eyes narrowed as the thought suddenly hit him, " _NO you don't!_"

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Why are they still in The Tunnels when Richard and Tommy have already reached New York and bought wedding rings? The job of securing The Tunnels took several days.

Tar Baby is 6'1" and 163 lbs

Ape is 5'10" 150 lbs


	30. Chapter 30

Snakehead

30

"That's not what I meant, Ray... Well, _Maybe_... But what I was going to say is that I have a car and no license."

Somehow Ray wasn't surprised that Thomas Salmons owned a car, "What is it, a_ Jag_?"

"A '76 _El Camino_. Maroon."

Ray nearly fell over laughing, "An _El Camino_? I thought you'd have a car that cost more the Xavier's mansion!"

"Charles Xavier is a very wealthy man. How do you think he pays for everything? The school, feeding and clothing everybody, all that high tech stuff... He's even been approached by The Hellfire Club, but he wanted no part of it."

"I'd never thought about it," Ray admitted.

"And an _El Camino_ is a great... car-truck thing..." Thomas cracked a smile. "So, can you drive a stick-shift?"

"They're what, two-seaters?"

What's a two-seater?" Jubilee asked.

Some of the other students were already waiting at the rendezvous point.

"An _El Camino_." Ray responded.

"Thinking of getting a used car, Ray?" Evan chuckled.

"Not quite."

"Two bucket seats. And a bench seat that can seat four, but it'd be cramped."

"Where would you put it?" Ray asked.

"The _garage_, of course."

...

A few days later:

Todd eyed the vehicle critically, "You got a zillion dollars and you buy an _El Camino_, yo?"

"Hardly a zillion, and most of the money is dad's."

"For somethin' that's older than Mags, it looks like it's in good shape..." Todd whistled, "So, you gonna' take it for a spin?"

"I can't, no license. Only a learner's permit..."

Todd shook his head, "No wonder it's in good shape, you can't drive it, yo!"

Thomas grinned evilly, "Todd, do you remember a video game called '_Frogger_'?

"Point taken."

"So, Ray, want to take her for a spin?"

"I don't think I could live it down..."

...

Five minutes later...

Todd had his head out the window, tongue trailing in the wind.

"Stop that, I don't have insurance!" Ray shouted over the radio, which Todd had turned almost to maximum.

_Just a short ride to shake out the dust..._

"Better do it Todd. I don't want you to lose your head. They're very difficult to put back on, you know..."

Thomas was sitting in the bench seat in the back. Technically the car could seat (legally) a maximum of six, but there wasn't much room to move in the back, and four people on the bench seat would make it very cramped indeed. He'd let Todd take the front seat.

"I take it back, Tom, this is an _awesome_ car, yo!" Todd said, "You should pimp it inta' a_ low-rider!_"

"Over my dead body! Do you know what that does to the shocks alone... ?"

"Well, look who it is..." Ray slowed a bit so that Thomas could see a tall, blonde man wearing a letterman's jacket. He was glaring at Ray and Todd with a look of pure hatred.

"I take it_ that's_ Duncan Matthews?" Thomas was even less impressed than he'd imagined he'd be.

"In the flesh." Ray frowned, "An' he's gonna' be laughin' his butt off that I'm driving an _El Camino_... With _Todd Tolensky_ of all people!"

"What's wrong with bein' seen with_ me_, yo?" Todd objected.

"Well, you do have a reputation..." Ray tried to backpedal. Todd was not a very popular boy in school, and Ray had been in a different cliche, a respected athlete, until he was 'outed' as a mutant. After he'd joined The X-Men and Todd The Brotherhood, they'd been somewhat friendly 'enemies'. It was hard to let old prejudices go, and people like Duncan embraced them. "Sorry... I shouldn't be like that..."

"I know, you just can't help bein' a _dumb jock_." Todd lay back and laced his fingers behind his head, ignoring Ray's glare. When he'd been in school, and actually showed up, Duncan Matthews had never missed an opportunity to either insult him, hit him, or both. "Too bad we can't run 'im over, yo."

"Hey, this car is to valuable to waste on hitting people!" Thomas called from the back.

"Let's go to_ Vegas_!" Todd shouted.

...

Mystique and Kurt walked through Storm's garden. Just because she was a mutant terrorist didn't mean she couldn't appreciate beauty.

"I think it can be a force for good, under the right leadership."

"Forgive me, but you do not have a history of making 'good' decisions, _mater_."

Mystique sighed, it was true, she'd thrown away her own son, left Rogue with Destiny and willingly joined forces with a megalomaniac mutant supremacist...

"I know I've been wrong in the past, and I may be wrong now. But I want to try to do good, not just for you and Rogue but for all mutants. Emma agrees with me, so do some of the others. Shinobi Shaw and Harry Leland can't see past their own libidos and are easy to manipulate and von Roehm is just a puppet, so they don't oppose us. The Black King, whoever or whatever he is, doesn't say much, but he seems to agree with us."

"I hope you're right."

"Maybe, one day soon we can all get together, you, me, Destiny and Rogue. Like a_ family_.

He smiled and put his arms around her, "I'm so glad you came back. I really want to make this work..."

"So do I Kurt, so do I."

...

Ray was a good driver, if a little intimidated at first. After all, he had no insurance (Tom did, but he didn't know if that would help with him driving), was driving the car of the son of a billionaire, which also happened to be a vintage 1976 _El Camino_ and a stick-shift, with said billionaire's son in the back. He'd had to physically threaten Todd to get him to put on his seat-belt and stop leaning out the window.

He wondered if this was what being a chauffeur was like.

He couldn't resist.

"Ready to go back to the mansion, Mr. Salmons?"

"Your British accent needs a little work." Thomas laughed, "Besides, a proper British chauffeur would say '_master_' Salmons."

"Like Hell I'd call you or anybody else 'master'."

" I thought not. Besides, in this context, 'master' is used to refer to the young son of the person's employer." He smiled, "It's your show right now, go where you want."

"Back to the mansion it is..."

"Aw, man! This is so much cooler than the jeep!" Todd whined.

"Is there anywhere, within a reasonable distance, that_ you_ want to go, Todd?"

"We could hang out in the mall, catch some lunch..."

Ray decided not to make a crack about Todd catching flies. "The mall it is, _Mr_. Tolensky."

"_Mr. Tolensky_!? Ain't it great, havin' a chauffeur, yo? _Ouch!_"

Ray had reached over with a charged finger and poked Todd in the arm.

...

"Raven."

Mystique turned from her waiting car to see Charles Xavier wheeling up to her.

"Charles."

"I need to ask you something. About The Hellfire Club."

"There are things I can't tell you, Charles, you know that."

"I only want to know the identity of The Black King. I've been unable to uncover anything about him."

"Perhaps he does not want you to know." She paused, "Since you're asking me I assume that means you're not reading my mind."

"You are a guest here. That would be improper."

"You are entirely too trusting, Charles. One day that will be the death of you." She shrugged, "You want to know about The Black King? So do I, honestly. He's... _Something_. I'm not sure what he is. He could just be a sentient, floating cloak and cowl. He could be The Grim Reaper and he just checks his scythe at the door. You'd have to ask Emma."

"Could it be the young vigilante Cloak?"

"No, He's too tall. And I don't think Cloak would join The Hellfire Club, he's too 'honorable' for that."

"Then it is a true mystery..." A terrible thought struck Xavier, "It is not The Shadow King, is it?"

The Shadow King was a malevolent, immortal creature that was as old as mankind itself. It represented evil in its purest form and could possess the bodies of others, as it had possessed a mutant named Amahl Farouk. In this form it had fought a younger Xavier over a child who would later become known as Storm. He would never forget that battle, as it had irreparably damaged his spine, leaving him bound to a wheelchair. And he'd won. He considered it a small price to pay for Storm's life, but had no desire to see the fiend again.

"I doubt it." Mystique was well aware of the history between Xavier and The Shadow King, "He'd be controlling everyone directly, and he'd probably talk more. You know how evil, megalomaniacal monsters love the sounds of their own voices... Speaking of which, have you heard anything about Magneto?"

"No. He's been quiet lately, perhaps The Acolyte's defection has humbled him, but I doubt it. Most likely he is recruiting new Acolytes to his cause."

"That's Magneto. An atheist with a Messiah-Complex." She shrugged, "I really must be going. We have a lot of work to do."

"I don't doubt it. Good luck, Raven."

"I'm rich and Beautiful, who needs luck?"

She laughed, got into her car and drove away.

To be continued...

Notes:

_Cloak_ \- Tyrone Johnson one half of the vigilante team _Cloak and Dagger._ His body/cloak is a portal to a dimension of absolute darkness, which he sends criminals to.


	31. Chapter 31

Snakehead

31

"Maybe you better drive on the way back, Tom," Ray was trying not to watch Todd eat, "You have a learner's permit, I have a licence, so it would be legal. Plus, you have insurance..."

"Good point." Thomas didn't dare eat in The Food Court, revealing his mutation would likely cause a terrified stampede, and/or a lynching, with his neck in the noose. A few people were staring rudely, mainly at Todd. "You seem pretty popular here, Todd."

"Yeah, they love me, yo." He shrugged, "Must'a been all that stuff I... _Picked up_ over the years."

Ray smiled, "Yeah, wallets, purses..."

"Hey, I have to eat too, ya know..." He grinned, "You lifted a few items yourself, with The Morlocks."

"You got me there." Ray admitted, "Looks like you've fallen among thieves, Tom."

"My brother's a mercenary and my dad's a member of The Hellfire Club. I've been in worse company. You did what you had to do to survive."

"You ever do any five-fingered shoppin' yo?"

"No. But I was never hungry and penniless, either." His eyes narrowed, "You do know that there's a security guard watching us, don't you?"

Neither bothered to turn and look, they took it for granted that security would hassle them.

"I'd be insulted if they wasn't, yo."

"They always follow obvious mutants, especially ones they know have criminal tendencies." Ray indicated Todd.

"I hope nobody plans any five-fingered shopping, I'd hate to be arrested."

...

The guard followed them from store to store, making it clear that they were being watched. If these kids hung out with 'Toad' Tolensky, they were probably crooks as well.

Thomas wondered what would happen if he knew exactly who he was bothering. There were perks to being rich, one phone call and the guy would be homeless... But he wasn't about to do that. He was just doing his job, protecting the mall from suspected thieves.

That didn't make it any less annoying.

So he turned, smiled and waved at the guard.

He didn't return the gesture.

"Don't bother, I know that creep. He's got a stick so far up his butt it comes out his mouth, yo."

"I'd rather not antagonize him... _Too much_." Thomas smiled again, "There's an old saying, _living well is the best revenge_. I'm taking you guys on a shopping spree!"

...

"Man,_ forty dollars_? And it doesn't even have no _accessories_, yo!" Toad held up a box with a very large figure of Jabba the Hutt.

"Grab two of 'em. I want one too." Thomas said, "You want one, Ray?"

"I grew out of toys a long time ago." Ray said, looking over his new baseball glove.

"You can never grow out of toys!" Todd dropped the two boxes into a well-loaded cart.

Usually neither boy would so shamelessly let their friend buy everything in sight, but it was a matter of principle. Showing all these stuffy jerks they weren't just a bunch of shoplifters...

Todd turned and flashed the guard a smile.

_That's right, we're payin' customers, yo!_

Thomas made a odd buzzing sound, the equivalent of _hmm..._

"Next stop, electronics!"

"I don't think you can fit too much in your _El Camino..._"

"It's half truck, remember?"

...

They found things for themselves, things for their friends, some fake dog crap for Duncan's doorstep... Clothes, toys, books, games, sports equipment. Todd greatly enjoyed the look on everyone's faces, especially the security guards.

_Xavier is gonna' be pissed with me, spending Tom's money._ Ray thought. He wasn't really proud of it, but he'd gotten caught up in the insanity, especially when they started buying things for other people. Still, he felt guilty about it, like he was using his friend...

"Does your dad even keep track of this? What's going to happen when he finds out about the_ jeep_?"

"He doesn't care, Ray. This is hardly anything, we have shirts that cost more than all of this combined."

"Must be some hella' fancy shirts, yo."

"It's all in the name. They're no better than anything you can get at Walmart, they just have fancy names attached to them." He held up his hands, "Hey, I think it's stupid too."

"Did you get any catnip for Fuzzy Butt?"

"Very funny..." Tom shook his head, "Too bad you can't buy gift cards with credit cards, shopping for people when you don't really know what they like is hard..."

"Yeah, if if you give X-23 something she don't like," Todd held his fist at his throat, "Snickt!"

...

"I think you may have been right after all, Ray..." Thomas looked at the three full carts the trio was pushing, "Even for a car-truck, this is a lot."

"Yeah, but did you see their faces! An' that one guy who _called_ your _dad_ to make sure you hadn't lifted his credit cards!" Todd laughed. He stopped abruptly.

"Uh-oh..."

"_Uh-oh indeed..._" Thomas replied.

Standing beside the_ El Camino_ was Duncan Matthews and a few sneering jock-types.

"Man, did you steal a _whole_ store, Toad?"

"Step away from the car and nobody gets hurt." Thomas' mechanical voice was tinged with menace.

"Or what? And who the Hell are _you_? Another mutie freak?"

Thomas straightened himself, "I am _Anhktepot_, God-King of Har'Akir, Eternal Pharaoh of The Black Land, Voice of Ra, Son of The Sun..."

Crickets chirped in the waning daylight as Duncan's slow mind tried to process what he was saying.

"Huh?"

The trio began laughing wildly.

"Yo, Matthews, we got you a present!" Todd reached into one of his bags and flung the fake dog crap at Duncan's head.

As Duncan dodged the fake dog droppings a jock with a led pipe swung at Ray, who simply grabbed it and sent a fair shock through it. Another rushed Todd, only to fall back in disgust at the glob of slime the boy spit on his expensive sports jacket.

A third rushed Thomas, who simply opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.

Everything stopped for a moment as the humans stared in horror at the serpent slithering from the boy's mouth.

"W-what the Hell?"

Thomas hissed and jumped a bit closer to horrified humans.

Several, Duncan included, screamed. As the boy got closer they turned and ran, jumping into a nearby van and peeling out.

"Pft, Cowards."

"That's right, you _better_ run, yo!"

Thomas rushed to his car, nothing was broken, but a rather vile epithet had been spray painted on his driver's side door. That hint of green flashed once again in his brown eyes.

"Oh, man... _I'm sorry._.. I should have known..." Ray was furious, but he was trying to hold it together, "If I hadn't slowed down..."

"It wasn't your fault." Thomas said absently.

Thomas composed himself admirably. Had Duncan still been there, he would have reacted differently.

Possibly _lethally_.

He pulled out his cell phone.

All it would take would be one phone call to the right person. He could have their bank accounts terminated, their homes foreclosed on, their every possession confiscated. He could have them 'blacklisted' from every college and employer in the country. He could have them imprisoned, or committed.

He even knew a few numbers to have them_ killed..._

Thomas dialed a number.

"Hello? Yes, I'd like to find someone who details automobiles in Bayville." He looked up, "You guys start loading up the stuff..."

...

As the little group began handing out gifts in Xavier's mansion, Duncan Matthews received a phone call.

He'd been fired from his job.

...

"I guess X-23 was pleased, seeing as all of our internal organs are _still_ internal." Thomas was exhausted. When all was said and done, all he'd bought for himself (not counting a total repaint of his car) was a figure of Jabba The Hutt. He set Jabba on his nightstand, as he wouldn't look right among his Egyptian statuettes.

"Thomas... I..."

"Don't worry about it." Thomas didn't know if Ray was fretting over accepting a gift or wrongly blaming himself for his car being vandalized. The former was nothing, and the latter was not his fault.

"I feel like I took advantage of you." Ray sat on the edge of his bed, facing Thomas.

"No. You didn't. I took you shopping. I bought you something, I bought everybody I could think of something... I even bought Duncan something." He laughed. "Now go to bed. We can argue in the morning, if you want. I'm too tired right now." He smirked, "Goodnight, _John-Boy_."

"Shut up..."

Thomas removed his vocal projector and practically embraced his bed.

Ray shook his head and turned off the lights.

...

To be continued...

The Pharaoh Anhktepot is The cursed Darklord of Har'Akir, a land in the D&amp;D _Ravenloft_ campaign setting.


	32. Chapter 32

Snakehead

32

Duncan Matthews was in a foul mood as he stepped out of his home and headed for his car.

"Mr. Matthews?

He swirled to find a thin man in a suit standing behind him, holding an envelope.

"I'm not interested, so buzz off."

"Sorry, Mr. Matthews, but I can't do that. This," He held out the envelope, "Is a _bill_ for the restoration of a 1976 Chevrolet _El Camino_."

"WHAT?!"

Duncan snatched the envelope away and opened it. It was a bill for the total repaint of the _El Camino_ Crisp had been driving.

A very_ large_ bill.

"I'm _not_ paying this!"

"Well, then," The man reached into his jacket and Duncan tensed, "This is a_ summons_ for your _court hearing_."

Duncan was speechless.

"Malicious mischief, vandalism of private property, intentional infliction of mental distress, not to mention violating my client's Civil Rights..."

"Ray Crisp has a _lawyer_?" Ray Crisp didn't own squat, the little freak was a gutter-punk, in school he was on _free lunch_ for God's sake! And Todd Tolensky's only contact with lawyers were Public Defenders in Juvenile Court...

"No, Mr. Matthews. I work for _Thomas Salmons_, son of _Mr. Marcus Salmons_... In case you haven't heard of him, he's one of the _wealthiest men on earth_. And he is very _displeased_ that you _vandalized_ his son's car." The man smiled, "Oh, Thomas said to tell you that '_Anhktepot_' is not to be taken lightly..."

"W-what...?" That lunatic snake kid, the one with Ray and Toad?

"And I have a restraining order preventing you from coming within a thousand feet of my employer, his _El Camino_, The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, any of its students, staff, employees, etc..."

"What! Don't I at least get a chance to_ defend_ myself?"

"_No. _You _do not_. My employer is, shall we say, _well-placed _in society. If you do choose to fight him, you _will_ lose _everything_."

"You can't just walk over people like that! I have _rights_!"

The lawyer shook his head, "You just don't understand. Mr. Salmons is just looking for an excuse to destroy your credit rating, foreclose on your home and have you blacklisted from every college and employment agency in the country. You would be homeless within a matter of hours."

Duncan was shaking, red with rage, "You're_ bluffing_."

He laughed, "Do you think it was just a _coincidence_ you lost your job last night, _immediately_ after defacing Mr. Salmons' car? Or that your friend just had his van repossessed? You picked a fight with the _wrong_ man this time, Matthews. Unlike Mr. Tolensky, who, by the way, _also_ has a restraining order against you, my client is not cowed by petty bullies and bigots, and he has the legal and financial clout to _break you_. He chose to show you a measure of_ mercy_, I haven't the faintest idea why..."

"T-that's not possible... The_ law_..."

"The law? I assure you, in this world of ours, money _is_ the law."

A man in a strange red and black uniform got out of an expensive sedan and stood beside the lawyer. He was also wearing a _gun_.

"So, you're the _fool_ who defaced my _little brother's_ _car_." He smiled cruelly and indicated his weapon, "If you come near Thomas, Ray, Todd or_ any_ other mutant, well... _Too bad for you_. That's a _threat_, by the way,_ not_ a warning"

"You're _nuts!_ All of you!" Duncan screamed. "You can't do this to me!"

"Oh, by the way, we found those _pictures_ on your computer... I wonder what your little_ bigot_ friends would think if they knew you were really -"

"_SHUT UP!_"

Duncan was sweating, and his trembling was no longer from rage. How could they know about those pictures? What the Hell had he gotten himself into? Just how _powerful_ were these freaks?

"_M-mafia?_"He stammered.

The man in the uniform laughed, " The mafia has nothing on us. We're_ The Hellfire Club_. We're the_ windshield_, you're the tiny, _tiny bug_..."

Duncan watched the sedan drive away, fighting back the cold terror that had gripped his soul.

...

"I thought you were going to go berserk."

"Like I'd steal your thunder, Ray..."

Ray and Tom were sitting by the pool, waiting for their friends.

Ray smiled, "You know what I mean... I just thought we'd be reading about Duncan's body turning up in a dumpster with a hole in the back of his head..."

Thomas shook his head, "Nothing that crude, Ray. If I wanted Matthews dead, they'd never find the body. What do you think_ hotdogs_ are made of?"

Ray paled with horror.

"I'm joking... Glue maybe, or dog food, but _not_ hotdogs."

"Glue?" Ray laughed, "I never know when you're serious or not. You have that straight face that makes it impossible to tell."

"Maybe I can use that to my advantage. Bluff my enemies." He looked into the large, crystal clear swimming pool, "What happens if you go off while we're in the pool?"

Ray shrugged, "We all die."

"_Cannonball!_"

Todd rushed past and did a cannonball into the pool, splashing both boys.

"Todd's decided to take his yearly bath today, I see." Ray said dead-pan.

"Very funny, I had a shower this morning... Or was it last night? Or last Wednesday morning? Aw, Dawg, now you got me all confused, yo!"

Tom splashed water with his feet in Todd's direction.

"Can you wear that gizmo in the pool?"

"It's waterproof, but I don't want to take any chances. Here come Broo, Angelo, Bobby and Evan."

Evan shook his head, "I'm not getting into any_ Toad water_."

Todd stuck his tongue out at Evan, way out, but didn't insult him. He was still trying to get over killing Bloodscream, and Todd didn't want to make him feel worse.

But that didn't mean he was getting out of the pool because that X-Geek didn't like him.

"You know, Evan, fifty years ago, you and I wouldn't be allowed in the same swimming pool..."

Evan sighed, "It's not because he's_ green_, Tom, it's 'cause he _smells_, and he doesn't even use_ basic hygiene..._"

"Hey, I resent that! I do shower, ya know!"

"Still, it is an excellent point," Broo set his glasses carefully on a small table, "Our actions are also struggles for Civil Rights, the rights of mutants."

"It's nothin', yo." Evan had always felt 'better' than Todd, and made sure he knew it, but so did almost everyone else, "I understand..."

That made Evan feel worse, Todd just_ accepting_ Evan's snub. He usually had a witty, often rude come-back... Now he just let it go?

Tom got up and took off his vocal projector, setting it beside Broo's glasses.

_Bobby, _He signed_, if you freeze this water, I_ will_ kill you._

"You think I'd do something like that?"

"Yes!" Everyone said in unison.

Bobby grasped at his heart in an exaggerated manner, "You guys have no faith in me... I'm hurt, really..."

"You'll be hurt if you freeze me out, Bobby." Ray warned.

"So Thomas, how goes the work of elf-slaying?" Broo asked cheerfully.

_I'm the best in the business of pointy-eared tree-humper eradication, feared throughout all of Azeroth as Thomas Elvenbane. _

"How long were you on before they kicked you off?"

_Ha-Ha._

"If you think that's bad," Ray said "You should watch him play _Naruto: Konoha Senki. _He always plays Zaku, and he likes to shout at the screen. My favorite is probably '_Die Aburame Scum!_"

_The little jerk had it coming... Blowing Zaku's arms off like that. I just wish they'd let me kill Orochimaru..._

"No mullets in the game, I take it?" Broo asked, remembering their discussion of _Kingdom Hearts_ and Demyx.

_Not that I've seen. I'm thinking of getting my hair styled like Zaku..._

He assumed Zaku's battle pose, arms outstretched, palms facing forward.

Ray face-palmed and Evan rolled his eyes.

"Sounds cool, yo!"

"This from the kid with the mullet..." Bobby snorted.

"Hey, mullets are cool!" Todd shook his wet hair like a dog, "Why's everybody diss mullets, yo?"

Nobody answered.

Tom climbed into the pool, sticking to the shallow side, as he wasn't sure how well he'd be able to breath or hold his breath if submerged.

"How 'bought cornrows?" Angelo asked.

_Too much work, all those little braids..._

Angelo, Ray and Broo got into the water and began swimming and playing.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes of feeling guilty and left out, Evan joined them.

_..._

"They just took my van! Some bull crap about improper paperwork..." John shook his head, "How am I supposed to find another job without my ride?"

"I checked this Marcus Salmons guy out. He really is a multi-billionaire. He's richer than God and used to be friends with Donald Pierce. His older son is a mercenary. I thought he was really going to _shoot_ me! " Duncan Matthews rubbed his eyes, he'd had a rough night. He'd lost his job, as had all of his friends who'd been involved in the mall fight. All of them had been permanently banned from any contact with the mutants. "All of this over a ratty old _El Camino_..." The _El Camino_ was actually one of the best maintained cars he'd ever seen, but he'd never admit it...

"That snake-kid is nuts! He's trying to ruin us!" John buried his head in his hands. "We shouldn't a' touched that_ El Camino_."

"And we can't do nothing about it. If we sue, he'll _bury_ us. Maybe even _literally_. The only thing worse than a rich jerk is a rich_ mutant_ jerk." Duncan said glumly, "I also found out who Ankh... _Anhktepot_... Whatever his name was is. He's an evil Pharaoh and a mummy from _Dungeons and Dragons_. Probably some kind of joke from that nut-job..."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Just what was on Duncan's computer? What's his terrible secret? I'm not telling... But it's not _illegal_...

I know it's evil, but Rank has its Privileges.


	33. Chapter 33

Snakehead

33

"Why me?" Scott Summers moaned, "Why?"

As Scott looked over C-Team, he was knew for a fact that Charles Xavier was a sadist.

Thomas Salmons was back, Xavier had insisted that he remain on C-Team, despite having threatened to kill his instructor.

Which brought him to the newest team member.

_Todd Tolensky._

Xavier was making him teach _Toad_.

He was truly a _sadist_.

It could have been worse, he could have been assigned _Avalanche..._

"Alright, team..." He tried to think of something more to say. Xavier had forbidden him to push Toad and the others harder than his other students, or to antagonize the former members of The Brotherhood.

"Today we're having a _surprise_... Ever hear of _Murderworld_?"

"Arcade's little fun-house of death?" Thomas replied.

"Yes,_ that_ Murderworld. Well, we'll be running a Murderworld simulation..."

Todd had no idea what a 'Murderworld' was, but he didn't want to be in it.

...

Androids, pit falls, deadly carnival tricks that would make The Joker himself proud.

Murderworld sucked.

Thomas noted that Todd was a good fighter, if untrained. His physical abilities would be well-suited to martial arts, especially _Wushu_ and_ Capoiera_. He remembered Rick had some training videos from Ray Park and other martial artists, and made a mental note to call him and borrow them for Todd.

Thomas, in contrast, was a lousy fighter. He was still afraid to get close to an enemy for fear that his serpent-tongue would come into play, even though he was only fighting holograms at the moment. He had no superior physical strength, aside from his tongue, his kicks and punches were the same as any other kid his age and size. And he was roughly the same size and build of Todd...

The only time he'd even knocked someone down was when he'd sucker-punched Scott.

...

When the session ended, they were all sore and exhausted.

"This Arcade dude is sick, yo." Todd moaned, "_Almost_ as sick as Summers."

Fortunately for him, Scott Summers was out of hearing range.

"Is it always this bad?" He asked.

"No," Bobby quipped, "Sometimes we get to fight sentinels, monsters or lynch mobs..."

"There's a reason it's called The Danger Room, homes." Skin added, "But this is nuthin' compared to _The Barrio_ where I grew up..."

Everyone knew that Angelo had seen his father gunned down before his eyes in his own front yard, and nobody doubted his word on how mean the streets could be.

Todd liked Skin, he didn't look down on him, was a great team leader and a overall good person. Like Todd, he'd once been on the wrong side of the law, as a gang-banger in L.A., but he'd turned his life around. Unlike Magneto, he actually cared about other people, X-Geeks, Morlocks and The Brotherhood.

He was the kind of guy you could look up to.

Angelo was also willing to share his time, experience and advice with the younger students, including members of The Brotherhood. Todd doubted he'd ever give up on anybody...

Thomas was nice, of course, and Tabby had once joined The Brotherhood, albeit briefly. Bobby was still a jerk, but he was more willing to give them a chance. This time, Todd felt he had a much better chance at success as a 'hero', or, at least, a student.

It was better than working for that lunatic Magneto.

...

It was becoming a weekly tradition, Todd, Ray and Thomas watching classic horror films together in the latter two's room.

Todd hid behind Ray, occasionally peeking out to look, (as Thomas was his size and thus less of a shield), much to the older boy's annoyance. But even Ray was a little unnerved by the movie.

Tonight's movie was _House of Wax_ with Vincent Price. It was an old movie, 1953, but Vincent Price could wring terror out of any role. The special effects were excellent and creepy, from melting wax figures to a hideously burned and scarred madman.

Thomas loved wax museums. Especially those with _Halls of Horror_. From mummies, werewolves and Frankenstein's monster to Xenomorphs. He had a fondness for freaks and monsters, and seeing lifelike recreations of the creatures. He often posed with them. From_ Potter's Wax Museum_ in St Augustine, Florida, to _Madame Toussads_ in London, he'd been to over a hundred wax museums. He could spend hours wandering a wax museum, marveling over the art of it all.

Thomas, to his credit, didn't laugh at the sight of Todd hiding behind Ray. He'd hidden behind the couch more than once himself. Oh yes, he had seen some _X-Files_ episodes that had scared him senseless. Like the one with the legless little beggar man who could 'hitch a ride' in people's bodies. That had scared the _Hell_ out of him...

As soon as the movie ended, Ray ordered Todd off of his bed, so the small mutant lept back onto Thomas' bed. Tom never complained, leading others to speculate that he either had no sense of smell or was in love with him. In truth, he simply accepted Todd, warts and all, pun intended.

Though he did have unnerving habit of talking about how _cute_ Todd was...

"Todd, how are the twins?" Thomas asked, he hadn't seen them in some time.

A flicker of sadness and anger swept across his face. Though he was in love/infatuated with Wanda, The Brotherhood was like a family as well. He hated Magneto for abandoning them, for leaving Wanda in an institution for most of her childhood, for treating them all like disposable pawns.

"They're hurtin', yo. Wanda, she never much liked the old douche-bag, an' I don' blame her, after what he did when she was a kid. But Pietro, he always thought he could win him over, that he actually cared. Now he knows better. They're orphans, yo. Magneto ain't no father, he only loves himself. I'd like to kick his head in..."

Ray nodded, "You're a good man, Todd, no matter what everyone else says."

"Thanks. _Wait!?_ What's everyone say 'bout me, yo?"

...

"Disgraced presidential candidate Senator Robert Kelly announced that he was dropping out of the race this morning. Critics have been slamming Kelly for his associations with alleged terrorist and Reaver's leader Donald Pierce and the late mutant businessman Sebastian Shaw. Kelly, who insisted he was unaware of the nature of either man, has seen a dramatic decline in both public and political support since the attack on The Capitol Building."

"On a related note, Shinobi Shaw, sole son and heir of Sebastian Shaw, has cut all ties with anti-mutant groups and withdrawn all support for The Sentinel Program. Since rising to the position of CEO of Shaw Industries after his father's sudden death due to heart failure, Shinobi Shaw, an open mutant, has set about destroying, for lack of a better term, all of his father's accomplishments in weapons development, mutant research and sentinel production. He has also invested heavily in Frost Technologies. Many have questioned his ability to lead the company due to his youth, but his personal attorney, Harry Leland, has confirmed that he is the rightful title holder and CEO, and that, quote "He knows what he is doing." End quote."

Xavier turned off the television.

"He'd better hope that his 'late' father does not regain his mental faculties, else young Shinobi will find himself in a very painful position." Dr. McCoy mused.

"I doubt Emma will allow it to get that far. He's far more... _Pliable_ than his father, and she prefers surrounding herself with those she can manipulate or control. He's happy to be used as a puppet, as long as he gets to enjoy himself..." Xavier noted, "He's a very hedonistic young man, and easy to keep occupied."

Hank smiled wryly, "That sounds like a lot of young men..."

...

To be continued...

Ray Park, of course, played Toad in the movie_ X-Men,_ as well as Darth Maul, Snake-Eyes and numerous others in other movies.

_House of Wax_ was made in 1953.

The X-Files episode referenced here is '_Badlaa_', the murderous little body stealing beggar man, who could also cast illusions to look like other people was played by actor Deep Roy. That was a scary episode...

I mean no offense to burn victims, I've met people who've been badly burned and I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.


	34. Chapter 34

Snakehead

34

Duncan Matthews was exhausted. He couldn't believe that he, _He!_ Was relegated to sweeping floors and taking out garbage in a greasy fast-food joint.

As he lugged the last heavy bag into the dumpster, he caught a gleam out of the corner of his eye. A very familiar vehicle was passing by.

A maroon 1976 _El Camino._

'Toad' Tolensky leaned out of the passenger side window and gave him a cocky grin and a one-fingered salute.

And there was _nothing_ he could do about it. If he even breathed on that car or its obnoxious occupants he would be slaughtered, possibly literally, by Salmons' agents or lawyers.

He suddenly felt nauseous.

Well, at least Tolensky would probably stink up that jerk's precious car...

A gruff voice shouted from the doorway, "Hey, Matthews! This toilet ain't gonna' clean itself!"

Duncan Matthews cursed them all.

...

Thomas Salmons shook his head, "Todd, don't provoke him. Even a coward like Matthews will fight if he's pushed into a corner."

"Yo, Tom, when I get my license, can I drive this baby?"

"You don't have a permit?"

"Kelly kicked us all out before most of the kids could get legal permits." Ray was relaxing in the back, "Todd never got to Driver's Ed.".

"Then we'll have to go to_ DMV_ and get you some lessons. In a _different_ car, of course. Once you have a license and can drive reasonably responsibly, I don't see what it could hurt... Except, of course, _you_, if you scratch my sweet ride..." He laughed and patted the mutant's shaggy mullet, "I'm joking, I wouldn't hurt you, _much_."

"Man, I could take Wanda out on the town..."

"You really are suicidal, Todd. Every time you get near her she blasts you." Ray observed.

"She'll come around, no girl can resist the_ Toad's charm_, Dawg."

"Do you want me to say the eulogy at your funeral?" Thomas asked, "I'll see to it that you get a great send off... Nothing but the best for a friend of mine."

"Ha-ha." Todd pouted.

They pulled into _Sonic's_ and got out into the few little tables out front, not wanting to risk food stains in the car.

"Honestly, though, there are other girls in the world. Girls who won't _kick_ your scrawny butt whenever you try anything even remotely romantic... You _are_ a lot better looking than you give yourself credit for."

Ray stuck a finger down his throat and made a gagging noise. It was true, honestly, Todd wasn't really _that_ ugly. He could actually be handsome, with some cleaning up, but Ray wasn't about to admit it.

He smirked, "Maybe you can find a nice blind girl with no sense of smell."

Todd's sticky tongue quickly slithered through Ray's perfectly combed blond hair.

Sparks began to fly, literally, "You're _dead_, Tolensky!"

"I'm not carrying a _body_ in my _car_!" Thomas shouted, "Blood is almost impossible to get out!"

...

Fortunately, Thomas had calmed Ray down by the time they got back to the mansion, so Todd got to live another day.

Lance was already asleep, so Todd slid into his pajama bottoms, (Lance violently refused to let him sleep naked, he probably snuck Kitty in while Todd was sleeping), and crawled between the soft, warm sheets. Life was nice here, it was warm, safe and there was more than enough food to go around. He'd eaten better in the last few weeks than he had in years. His bones weren't as prominent as they had been before, and he was stronger and healthier.

He was even_ happy_, sometimes.

He wished that Xavier, not Magneto, had found him when he was homeless and desperate, but wishing was for fools. Besides, if he'd never joined The Brotherhood, he wouldn't have such good friends as Freddy...

And he'd never have met Wanda, except as an enemy.

Contrary to what everyone else believed, Todd_ had_ considered other girls. The ones that hadn't immediately puked on him had laughed and recounted his many physical and social faults. He had yet to find a girl who would treat him as anything but an annoying, ugly little, well, _Toad_.

Wanda was violent, she'd probably be considered abusive in a legal sense, but at least she payed _some_ attention to him, even if it was usually negative. She could be nice, sometimes, and that gave him hope that she might warm up to him someday.

He drifted off to sleep with a smile...

...

To be continued...

Yes, Todd goes commando and sleeps in the buff. He's still a minor, so _no_ touching!


	35. Chapter 35

Snakehead

35

_What happened? War had seemed so certain_…

Magneto looked over the earth from his asteroid base, wondering what had gone wrong.

He'd murdered the most vocal anti-mutant religious leader on earth, he'd attacked a presidential candidate and U.S. Senator.

There had been riots in the streets. Mutantkind was being forced into action.

Now, nothing.

At least, nothing outside of the ordinary hatred directed toward mutants.

The Brotherhood, The Acolytes, even his own children had abandoned him.

Abandoned his dream.

The Brotherhood had been a pathetic bunch of useless children, but The Acolytes were his Chosen. His Apostles.

And they had all betrayed him.

Shinobi Shaw was dismantling his father's sentinels and shutting down his factories. He had openly revealed himself as a mutant, though, in his defense, his father's public 'outing' may have had something to do with that. He didn't care about anything, apparently. He probably believed that humans would accept them if they 'played nice'.

Youth was wasted upon the young.

Senator Kelly had dropped out of the running for President, lowering the levels of openly hostile actions. The Super-Powers Registration Act had stalled in The Senate, public sentiment was swaying away from anti-mutant rhetoric.

They were merely prolonging the inevitable.

He had to do something.

…

Ray Crisp yawned and stretched. At one time, he'd hated getting up so early. Now he was a live wire, no pun intended, always ready to go. Thomas, on the other hand, like to sleep in. He was laying quietly in his bed, tangled in his sheets. Ray assumed he was asleep, the things he wore over his eyes to block out his infravision while trying to sleep made it hard to tell.

He wanted to feel the sun on his skin, but he was clad only in his boxers and Thomas slept in his briefs, so both boys kept the curtains shut until they were presentable.

He picked out some clothes and headed for the shower.

Thomas didn't snore, apparently he couldn't, with that snake in his mouth. That in itself was something of a small blessing, Roberto had snored like a lion during their brief and violent assignment together.

Yes, Thomas was the best roommate he'd had so far.

He still locked the bathroom door before removing his boxers and stepping into the shower.

Thomas made a lot of comments about both his (Ray's) and other boys' bodies that made Ray a bit self-conscious. He'd been naked around other guys before, of course, the showers at school had often been the only ones he'd get, while he was a Morlock, at least. He didn't have a particular problem with gay guys, but like most guys he'd rather not have another guy,(or anyone else), checking out his body like a piece of meat...

Not that Thomas did so.

Well, it was hard to tell...

The boy was impossible to read, most of the time. He said he wasn't gay, but openly admired Ray's body and thought Todd was 'cute'. Of course, part of that was mild jealousy and part of that was trying to help Todd feel better about himself.

He also didn't seem to know what he was saying half the time, which was the source of some pretty funny situations at times.

It was kind of sad, in a way. He could deliver devastating sarcasm, then say something that was better left unsaid. Like calling Scott a dick to his face, or insulting the short-tempered Glob Herman.

'_Foot-in-Mouth Disease_' as Tom put it.

He stepped out of the shower, dried off and put on his civilian clothes.

When he stepped out of the bathroom Thomas was still asleep.

...

Thomas Salmons stirred in his bed. He reached up and removed the eye coverings that helped him sleep. As his eyes adjusted he realized Ray was already gone. He was an early riser, Ray.

Tom was torn between crawling back under the covers and getting up for breakfast. But he needed to eat, too. In the end, his stomach won out. After a quick shower he dressed and headed for the cafeteria.

Tom was wearing his black mesh shirt over his bare, thin chest, black jeans and sneakers. If not for his brown hair and lack of make-up or jewelry, he could be mistaken for a hard-core Goth.

Most of the students had already eaten, so he was practically alone.

Todd and Freddy sat at one table, Pietro and Wanda at another. Dom had apparently left with Kitty. Thomas had no doubt that Todd, at least, would rather be sitting beside Wanda, which, from what he understood, she would violently oppose.

He shrugged, picked up some bottled water and eggs and sat across from Todd and Freddy.

Todd smirked, "An' you call me skinny, yo?"

"Yes." Thomas smiled back, "But you're looking better than when we first met."

"And you're still wearin' that mesh shirt."

Thomas thought back to his first meeting with Todd, in the local mall. This was indeed the same shirt he had been wearing.

Todd was wearing his new clothes and Freddy was wearing that ever-present set of overalls. Despite their mutual friendship, Thomas didn't know Freddy that well, outside of the fact that he used to be in a carnival and it was his mutation that made him so large. He was also one of the friendlier members of The Brotherhood, but there were so many people at the school...

"So, Freddy, they say you're immovable."

"Yeah. Well, unless I'm up against Kid Gladiator." Freddy, like Pietro was still eating, he needed the calories. Thomas figured Todd was still underweight too.

"Or in front of _McDonald's_, yo."

Freddy smiled. He didn't mind Todd's ribbing, he knew he wasn't insulting him. Not like most people.

"So what happens when an immovable object encounters an unstoppable force?"

Freddy had heard that one a lot.

"It flows around it." He said simply. Thomas was nice, he was good to Toad, had helped Dom with his jeep, and given them all gifts, "The layers of... Well, _fat_ protect me from a lot a' things, too."

"Where are you from?"

"Midwest. You?"

"New Haven."

"Can you taste your food, what with having to eat through a snake and all..."

"Yes, but it tastes a little different than it would to most people, and heat and strong spices really screw up my taste-buds."

"That's awful." Freddy looked horrified.

"Yeah, it limits what I can eat, or eat comfortably, anyway."

"Todd'l eat anything. We never needed a fly-swatter at The Brotherhood House."

"Well, everyone else always ate all the food, I had ta' eat somethin' yo!"

"Bugs are high in protein." Thomas shrugged, then smiled. A truly evil idea was forming in his mind.

"Have you guys ever been to a gourmet restaurant?"

...

Both Thomas and Todd were grinning like idiots as the group walked into the most expensive and exclusive restaurant in town.

"I can't believe this!" Freddy said in awe.

Neither could the _Mait're De_. His mouth hung open at the sight of the spiffed up young mutants.

"Is this like a buffet?" Freddy asked.

"Salmons. I have a reservation." Thomas said confidently.

"I-Identification, sir?"

The _Mait're De_ examined the ID closely. "I'll have to call it in, sir..."

"If it takes more than fifteen minutes, you'll be scrubbing public toilets by tomorrow..." Thomas said angrily. Of course he'd check, who wouldn't? But that didn't mean he liked it. The man rushed off to call Marcus Salmons.

"Don't antagonize him, Tom."

"Isn't that my line, Ray?"

"It's still good advice, even if it did come from _you_."

Several people giggled.

The patrons were all staring at the large group waiting to be seated.

One angry man walked over to them.

"Now see here, we don't allow mutants in here!"

"Then leave." Thomas said flatly, eliciting more laughter, "You're a bigger freak than any of us."

"You tell 'im, yo!"

"Besides, you're not the owner, just an obnoxious customer. You have no right to throw us out." He glared at the man, "How much are you worth?"

"I'm a millionaire, I own-"

Thomas laughed, the odd metallic sound echoing in the restaurant, "You're worth _squat_. I could blow my nose on your 'fortune'. My father is Marcus Salmons."

The man paled, "T-the Marcus Salmons?"

"Of New Haven, yo!" Todd chimed in.

"I-I-I..."

Fortunately, the _Mait're De_ returned at that moment, "I'll show you to your table, Mr. Salmons."

Wanda cracked a smile as they passed the stunned man, who was still trying to get the words out.

...

"Todd, don't crouch on the chairs."

"But it's more comfortable, yo." Todd whined.

"As Ray so eloquently quoted me, 'We don't want to antagonize them'." He smiled, "Just shake them up a bit..."

"Why do people pay so much for such tiny portions?" Freddy asked.

"No clue..." Thomas shrugged. He wasn't eating, he just wanted to shake them up, not terrify them. "Try the rack of lamb, it's a fair-sized portion. They also have whole duck..."

Pietro started gagging, apparently caviar didn't agree with him.

"That's disgusting!" He spat.

"I tried to warn you, Speedy. That stuff's awful." Tom admonished, "And if you jump up on the table, Todd, we'll be having _frog legs_."

"You're no fun!" Todd pouted and sank back into his chair. It was a great chair, very comfortable, but this might be his only chance to raise Hell in a restaurant where millionaires were lower class.

"_That's_ disgusting." Ray nodded toward Lance and Kitty, he was feeding her steamed shrimp as she sat on his lap.

Todd turned, a gleam in his eyes, "So, Wanda, I was thinking-"

"No!" Wanda glared at Todd.

Todd sunk dejectedly into his chair.

Thomas wondered why Wanda was so hostile towards Toad. Probably her awful childhood... And the fact that she seemed to find him repulsive. He shrugged sadly.

"Money can't buy everything..."

He reached over and rustled Todd's greasy brown hair, "Don't worry Todd, there's a girl out there for you."

Freddy patted him on the shoulder, "He's right. You'll find somebody."

Wanda couldn't help but feel a little guilty, not guilty enough to let 'Toad' Tolensky sit on her lap, but guilty.

Besides, he'd probably expect her to feed him, the little brat.

"Be careful pampering Todd, Thomas." Lance warned, "He'll start to expect it."

Todd stuck out his tongue at Avalanche, eliciting gasps from onlookers.

"Now, now, let's keep civil tongues in our heads." A beautiful, pale woman with white hair, dressed entirely in a white satin business suit approached the table, "It's been a long time, Thomas."

"Yes, it has, Miss. Frost."

A loud smack resounded through the restaurant.

"OUCH! KITTY!" Lance was rubbing his stinging cheek.

"I saw you looking at her!"

Lance shrugged, "Hey, I love you, but I'm not _dead_, ya know?"

"Not _yet_, anyway..." Kitty growled.

...

To be continued...

Notes-

Gratuitous naked Ray!

No, Ray's not homophobic, he just doesn't like people of any sex staring at his goods.

No, Thomas is _not_ gay. He just acts like it... I try to avoid having OC's get involved with canon characters. They're already Mary-Sue enough.

Yes, Thomas is excellent at being a snobby rich kid, when he wants to be.


	36. Chapter 36

Snakehead

36

Of the assembled mutants, only Thomas, Ray and Angelo knew who Emma Frost really was.

She smiled at the spat between Lance and Kitty. She knew that she was an attractive woman, and often used that to her advantage, but she wasn't a cradle-robber. She wasn't trying to impress these children, at least not in that way.

"So, Miss Frost, what brings you here?" Thomas asked.

" Despite my figure, I _do_ eat sometimes. I must say it's been amusing watching you children. You really liven up a room."

She could sense several of them resented being called 'children'. With the exception of Angelo, who was nearly old enough to buy a beer, they were all children to her.

"That was the idea. Give my friends a good meal and annoy people at the same time." Thomas reached over and wrapped an arm around Todd's scrawny shoulders, "Look at this poor boy! He's practically _starving_!"

Todd was blushing and staring at the beautiful creature in front of him with huge yellow eyes.

"He _is_ adorable. But, he's far too _young_ for me. Oh, my, I think he's about to faint…"

At which point Todd did faint.

"You're right, the poor boy _is_ starving. He's lucky to have you to take care of him." Emma said, "May I join you?

All eyes, all male eyes, anyway, were on Emma Frost, White Queen of The Hellfire Club.

Well, almost all eyes, Thomas and Freddy were trying to wake Todd up and Lance was doing his best to stare at anything but Miss Frost, fearing for his life if Kitty caught him peeking.

His thoughts were the worst of all...

A small number of uniformed guards had joined them, most of the kids recognized the uniform, having seen pictures of Richard.

"You're with The Hellfire Club?" Someone asked.

"Yes." She said simply, she did not want to reveal her rank within The Club to the world.

A waiter had brought over something to help wake Todd, who practically jumped to the ceiling upon awakening.

Emma smiled, "So, he _is_ alive."

"_Thank God..._" Wanda said, while rolling her eyes.

"How have you been, Angelo?" She smiled.

"Muy Beuno…" Miss Frost had been one of his teachers for a short time, one that he wasn't likely to forget anytime soon, "And you?"

"I've been well. Like you, we've had a few hurdles, I'd like to think we've come out on top."

Not surprisingly, a few of the boys made rather lewd connotations between her and the phrase '_on top_'. She decided to stop looking into their minds, as they weren't much of a threat and most weren't particularly subtle in their feelings for her. Or pleasant...

Except for one who might prove dangerous in ignorance.

_I'd rather not have anyone know that I am The White Queen of The Hellfire Club, Mr. Crisp, so please, don't mention it._

Ray nodded in agreement. He was a smart boy, a smart _young man_. Neither Thomas nor Angelo would reveal anything about her, they knew the importance of secrecy.

"Tell me, is Selene really dead?" Thomas asked.

"I sincerely hope so, but creatures like that rarely die so easily."

"Selene? That crazy S&amp;M chick that, like, nearly killed Magneto?" Kitty blurted out.

Both Pietro and Wanda flinched a bit at that.

"Yes, the same. Selene Gallo." She didn't want to mention Magneto around the man's traumatized children. "By the way, St. John Allerdyce has joined The Hellfire Academy."

"_Pyro_? That nut'll probably burn the whole school down!" Pietro was glad to get the topic off of his estranged father.

"Don't worry, I can handle him."

"Is his first name really _St._?" Todd asked.

"Actually, it's pronounced _Sinjin_. He prefers to go by John or Johnny, though."

"What about Gambit and Sabertooth?"

"Gambit is back in New Orleans, I don't really _want_ to know where Sabertooth is."

Emma Frost noted that one young man in particular was no longer swayed by her charms. She walked over to Wanda and smiled.

"You're very lucky, Wanda, to have such a devoted young man seeking your affections."

Wanda looked over at Toad, who was giving his most cheesy and desperate smile.

"Yeah, lucky me..."

Emma sighed sadly, "It's rare to find someone who loves you unconditionally. I know, I've known several men I thought charming, who were really pigs. Young Mr. Tolensky is sincere. Whatever you think of his appearance, he is a truly _noble_ young man..."

Todd's pathetic grin widened, his puppy-dog eyes full of hope.

Wanda face-palmed, "God, I must be going insane. I swear, if he calls me 'schnookums', 'Sweetcakes' or something similarly stupid, I'll kill him!"

"Play it cool..." Ray whispered in Todd's ear, "And if she gets angry, run like Hell, I'll cover you..."

Pietro glared at Todd as he made his way over to Wanda, shaking like a leaf. "Uhm... Uh... Sweet- I mean, Wanda... Wanna' see a movie... Or somethin', yo?"

Everyone tensed to dodge the Hex Bolts.

Wanda threw up her hands, "UGH! _One_ date! If you so much as touch me, you _die_."

Todd had to hold back from hugging her and bringing certain doom on himself, tears of joy running down his face.

Pietro was already calculating how long a prison sentence he would get for killing Toad. Salmons would almost certainly make sure he got The Chair, but it might just be worth it...

_Bless you Miss Frost! _Todd thought happily.

Ray and Tom exchanged hopeful glances. Maybe Toad would live though this after all...

...

Almost everyone in the mansion pitched in to help Todd with advice, some good '_Never discuss her weight!_' to bad '_Girls like boys to be aggressive_' to terrifying '_The leading cause of death in teenage boys is teenage girls_...'.

The hardest part was cleaning Toad up.

"AHHH! You got it my eyes!" Todd wailed as he frantically rubbed his eyes. He was being somewhat forcibly bathed and wasn't happy. It was bad enough to have his friends strip him naked, (then force him to put on swimming trunks), drag him into the shower and start scrubbing him raw, now they were trying to blind him with shampoo.

"Just rinse it out..." A hand under his chin pushed his face toward the showerhead. "It'll be fine."

Todd yelped, "Hey! Hands _above_ the waist, yo!"

"Nobody's touching you down _there_, Todd." Freddy said. He was assigned to guard the door, in case Todd bolted, _again_.

He'd finally given up when they threatened to drag him stark naked into the front yard and hose him down in front of _everyone_.

"I can't tell which marks are dirt, spots, bruises or scars..." Ray observed.

Todd had a lot of scars, he'd had a hard life.

"The scars are pale." He mumbled.

At least he'd stopped screaming '_RAPE!_" and trying to escape.

He closed his eyes and submitted to the indignity of being bathed like a child.

"Who gets the job of washin' his feet?" Ray frowned at the thought of touching Toad's feet.

"I'm not a leper, yo! An' I'm not helpless, I'll wash my own feet!" He frowned, "An' everything _else_ below my waist!"

"Ah, well, that's not much territory to cover." Ray smirked, "Except for the feet, of course."

Todd stuck out his tongue.

"Don't be so hard on Todd, Ray. He's actually-" Thomas was about to say something truly embarrassing (for both of them) about Todd's size, but realized how it would sound in time, for once. His face reddened slightly, "I mean..."

Ray wondered about the mild remark, but didn't push it.

"I know," He smiled and tussled Todd's hair, "He's not _that_ small..." In fact, if anything, Todd was _big_ for his size and age, but Ray knew better than to say that. If word got to Roberto about him saying such a thing, the little creep would have all of Bayville convinced that he was gay _and_ chasing Toad...

Todd smirked, he knew from their expressions what they were thinking. He laced his hands behind his head, after what they'd put him through, seeing them squirm was priceless.

Whistling innocently, he pulled off his trunks and threw them at Ray.

"_That's It!_ I'm takin' this punk out _front_!"

Tom had to hold Ray back, getting a mild shock in the process. With a little help from Freddy, he managed to drag the raging Berzerker from the bathroom before he electrocuted them all.

Todd grinned and shut the door behind them, then locked it...

...

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ray asked. He was worried he might have actually hurt his friend...

"I'm fine." Thomas said quietly, he was laying on Todd's bed. Ray was sitting on Lance's bed, anxiously watching his friend. He was acting even more odd than usual, "Don't kill Todd, okay?"

Ray laughed, "I'll let Wanda do it..." He nodded toward Freddy, "Besides, between him and you, I'd be dead before he hit the ground."

Todd strode out of the bathroom, still naked, still whistling. "Wha's up with Tom, yo?"

"Put on a towel on or something!" Ray snapped, eyes clearly electric blue.

Todd jumped back a foot or so and quickly snatched up a towel, "Okay! Okay! Wha's wrong with Tom?"

Ray shook his head, "Just a slight shock. You're lucky he jumped in, I was gonna' fry your sorry a**."

"I guess I'm even weaker than I thought..." Tom sat up, rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry, Dawg, I didn't think..."

"Oh, shut up, frog legs." Tom smiled, "Get dressed. You can't go out with Wanda like that..."

Thomas shot Ray a sinister smirk, and when Todd dropped his towel to grab his clothes, he did his best impression of a wolf-whistle possible with a vocal projector.

Todd froze and his whole body turned bright red.

Ray collapsed on the bed laughing, and Freddy was doubled over. Tom was making that loud buzz indicating laughter as Todd quickly grabbed his clothes and rushed into the safety of the bathroom.

"That's _not_ funny, yo!" He shouted through the bathroom door.

"Did you see his face?" Thomas was practically in tears. "I kind of feel sorry for him!"

"Wait... Wait until we... Tell him about... His _chaperone_..."

...

"You alright, kid?"

Todd was a shade of cherry red. "Y-yes, sir, Mr. _W-Wolverine_... Sir..."

Wolverine grinned as he drove the jeep out for Todd and Wanda's big date...

...

To be continued…

Notes:

More gratuitous naked Todd! He's a shameless little guy... Just can't keep his clothes on.

Wolverine is actually protecting Todd from Wanda.

Yes, Lance is a pervert.

Tom's just nuts. He loves freaking people out.

In canon, Skin was a member of _Generation X_, a team of young mutants led by Emma Frost and Banshee, until those fools at Marvel killed him off. That was one of their worst mistakes, he was an awesome character, and I've never forgiven them for it.

Ray knows Emma through Thomas and Richard.

Poor Todd, love makes fools of us all...


	37. Chapter 37

Snakehead

37

"So we have _Florida Buzzsaw Massacre_, no, that's rated 'R', _Teenage Witches_..." Logan wondered about that, "_Love is Wonderful_..." Wanda stuck a finger down her throat and made a gagging noise, "_Killer Mimes from Outer Space_ and _Attack of The Fifty-Foot Mutant_... I vote for the_ Mimes_."

"As long as it's dark enough to kill Todd without anyone noticing." Wanda yawned.

"Aww, _Sweetums_..." He paled suddenly, "I mean, Wanda..."

She glared at him, "_No_ pet names!"

He looked so pitiful with his huge, puppy-frog eyes, and he had cleaned up and even brushed his teeth.

Of course, she'd heard that his friends had literally dragged him kicking and screaming into the shower...

She sighed heavily.

"I'm getting soft in my old age."

"You're seventeen!"

Logan chuckled.

"Well, what do you kids say?"

"_Killer Mimes From Outer Space_!" Todd shouted.

"Oh Lord..." Wanda shook her head, this was going to be a long night.

...

Tom looked out the window, "I hope she doesn't hurt him_ too_ badly..."

Ray smiled, "I hope she starts dating Roberto... Or Scott..."

"They deserve it." Thomas agreed, "But maybe she has a heart in there, _somewhere_...Poor Todd..."

"Do you still have a headache?"

"I guess we found my Kryptonite. Electrical attacks. Ironic, isn't it, roomie?"

"Yeah. I'd hate to kill you, you're a lot of fun, kind of creepy, but a lot of fun." He laughed, "Poor Todd. It's funny, I always figured he'd end up with Kurt."

"_Kurt?_"

"Oh yeah, that's right, you only saw them fight once. Every battle was practically a wrestling match, with extra groping. One time Kurt pretty shamelessly grabbed Todd's- "

There was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Roberto!" An overly cheerful voice called through the door.

"Go away!" Ray shouted. He didn't want that jerk around, especially now.

Roberto leaned on the door, grinning, "Hey, why did Toad start yelling '_Rape!_' after you two went into his room?"

Ray considered shooting a bolt through the door.

_That little douche-bag!_

Thomas smiled, "Why don't you come in here and find out!"

Ray face-palmed. _Dear God, could this get any worse!?_

Apparently _yes_.

Thomas walked over, opened the door and looked Roberto over thoughtfully, "_Hmmm..._ You're not as_ cute_ as Todd, but... I guess you have _potential_."

Roberto's dark complexion paled considerably, on the one hand, he was enraged at being told that _Toad_ was better looking than himself, on the other, he was being told this by another _boy_ with a dubious reputation at best...

He settled for a quick retreat.

Ray was ready to scream...

"Do you have any_ idea_ what you've done? Now he's going to tell _everyone_ that _we're_ gay_ for_ Toad _and_ _for_ him!"

"He doesn't have a good case for you, Ray. Besides, he's probably so shook up that he won't want to talk to anyone about this..."

Ray moaned and shook his head, "Please, tell me the truth,_ are_ you trying to romance Toad?_ Are you gay_?"

"_No_, but there's little so frightening to the average teenage boy as to have a_ guy_ hitting on him._ Mind games_." He pointed to his forehead, "If you're not strong, you have to think of ways to convince your opponent to leave you alone... Plus, it's_ fun_. Freaking people out is one of my hobbies."

"And what if the guy you're playin' head games with decides to take you up on your offer?"

"Admittedly, it's not a _perfect_ strategy," Thomas smiled, "Besides both Todd and Roberto have girlfriends..."

"That doesn't mean anything... I've always suspected that a certain womanizing jock we both hate actually plays for the other team."

_"Summers!?"_

...

As a dazed Roberto da Costa walked down the hallway, he saw Quentin Quire standing beside his door. The purple haired boy was wearing a_ Futurama_ T-shirt with a picture of Bender and the words _'Bite my Shiny Metal A**'._ Quentin smiled at the shocked boy.

"Shut up, Quentin."

"I didn't say anything..." Quentin said innocently.

...

Todd debated the situation... All he had to do was yawn, stretch out his arm and put it around Wanda's shoulder.

The oldest trick in the book.

Unfortunately, she'd made it perfectly clear that if he touched her, she'd kill him in unspeakably horrible and humiliating ways...

Was it worth it?

A horrible death for a few seconds of contact with his beloved Schnookums...

He decided to go for it.

No Hex Bolts! No horrible pain surged through his tiny, fragile body!

His heart soared.

Than he remembered that _Wolverine_ was sitting between them...

Logan eyed the mortified boy curiously as Wanda broke out laughing.

...

_HELLCOW SIGHTED IN LANCASTER! _

Shinobi Shaw looked up from the paper, "Hellcow?"

"She's a vampiric cow, Shinobi." Emma explained, "She's been terrorizing farms across the country."

"Vampire cows..." Shinobi shrugged, "It's a weird world."

"She seems to be working her way in our general direction..."

"Should we do something?"

Emma arched an elegant white brow, "I didn't think you cared about anybody else?"

"Can you imagine the great PR boost Shaw Industries would get by capturing Hellcow? Hell, we could use her as a mascot!"

"Nothing projects the image of a concerned, ethical company like a vampire cow..." Emma replied.

...

Wolverine smiled as he drove the young couple back to the mansion.

Toad was still breathing and his balls were still attached, so he assumed that it was a good date... Wanda hadn't tried to kill the boy once, though she'd made threats to do so several times. And Todd had behaved himself the best that a hormonally challenged, love-smitten little fool could.

Logan pitied the kid, he wasn't a bad kid, he just couldn't understand that Wanda might actually rather kill him slowly than kiss him.

Cupid had gone awry in this case, it seemed.

Of course, the way Wanda had spent her childhood probably made her about as sociable as Laura. Between her evil, lunatic father placing her in a mental institution and being turned into a mutant terrorist by her father's henchmen had to be bad for her mental state.

Wanda, Pietro, Todd, all The Brotherhood kids, that little nut Pyro, even Mystique. It seemed that everything Magneto touched he destroyed.

The man was a walking plague... And he'd very nearly destroyed the world with his stunt with Stryker.

...

"_He's alive_! And he can still walk!"

Cheers broke out as Todd and Wanda stepped out of the jeep. Wanda cringed as several boys came out to pat Todd on the back and congratulate him for his continued survival. Logan and Pietro had a bit of a stare down, so the speedster walked over to his sister and pulled her aside.

He couldn't very well kill Toad with Wolverine, Berzerker, Snakehead and Blob standing right next to him.

"So, what happened?"

"Dinner and a movie." She smirked, "He tried the old yawn and stretch trick, and ended up hugging_ Logan_!"

The twins broke down in raucous laughter as the boys hurried Todd inside and away from either Maximoff.

"I almost feel sorry for the poor little troll..." Pietro snickered, "Like _he_ has a chance in Hell..."

Wanda shrugged, but didn't reply.

Aside from his atrocious breath and poor hygiene, he could be a bit... _Sweet_... She could do worse, like Duncan Matthews, for instance. He was almost cute, in a way.

She shook her head,_ I must be losing my losing my freaking mind!_

...

To be continued...

More screwing with people's minds. I'm sure it will come back to bite him one day...

Laura - X-23


	38. Chapter 38

Snakehead

38

"Yeah, Schnookums didn't hit me once! The 'Toad Charm' is finally workin'..."

_More like the Wolverine's claws._ Ray thought,_ Poor delusional Todd..._

"Good news, Todd!" Ray smiled, "Tom _isn't_ really in love with you!"

Todd let out a sigh of relief.

"But_ Kurt_ would jump you in a second..."

"Whaa...? _Me_ an' _Fuzzy-Butt?_ You crazy, fool?! That _ain't_ gonna' happen, yo!"

Ray decided to let it lie, Todd had suffered enough for one day.

"He's just messin' with you..." Freddy patted Todd's skinny back, "Kurt's got that human girl. Amanda what's-her-face."

"Sefton."

It was past midnight, but the boys couldn't sleep. They were all keyed up by Todd's successful (or, at least non-violent) date with Wanda. They were in Ray and Tom's room, as Lance had made it clear that he didn't want them keeping him up all night.

More likely he wanted to sneak Kitty in...

Thomas smiled and tussled Todd's hair, "Since you're alive and still have all of your hardware, I assume that you didn't try anything stupid."

Todd flushed a bit red at the memory of putting his arm around Wolverine...

"I was a _gentleman_, yo."

"And cute, too."

Todd eyed Thomas warily. He still hadn't forgotten that little wolf-whistle when he'd dropped his towel...

"And," He patted Todd's stomach, "You look a lot healthier now, too. Before I could count your bones..." In truth the boy was still underweight, but he looked a lot better than when he'd first seen him.

"Hey, I got muscles, yo!" Todd flexed a puny bicep. "Besides, I can almost count _your_ bones..."

"I can't help that... I eat through a snake, remember?"

_Don't you think it's time for bed, boys? _Xavier asked gently, but firmly.

"I'm too hyped to sleep, yo..." Todd grumbled, but he knew he didn't have a choice, "An' don't you dare offer to let me sleep in _your_ bed, Tom!"

Tom smirked, "Saving yourself for _Kurt_, huh?"

Ray and Freddy burst out laughing, as usual.

"You're sick, Dawg." Toad couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"Todd sleeps naked..." Freddy grinned.

"I bet Wanda appreciated that..." Ray pictured Wanda walking in on a naked Toad, and the comically violent aftermath.

"Why do you fools always pick on me, yo!?"

"Same reason I talk about Ray. Jealousy." Tom said.

...

The next day,

"So, how was it?" Kitty asked.

Wanda raised an eyebrow, "Nothing happened."

"Well, with Wolverine there I guess nothing _could_." Tabby giggled.

"The boys are certainly excited..."

Wanda almost smiled. "They're not celebrating any 'conquest', they're just happy I didn't kill or castrate frog-boy."

"Careful, Tom may steal him from you yet..." Tabby grinned wickedly.

"I can only hope. I heard the screaming," Wanda did smile this time, "When he came down he was red as a lobster..."

Pretty much the whole school had heard Todd screaming _RAPE!_ when Tom, Ray and Freddy had went into his room. And Thomas Salmons had several times said that Todd was 'cute', but it was unlikely Ray or Freddy, and certainly not any of the telepaths in the school, would allow a rape to happen. Besides, Todd was still laughing and hanging around the trio this morning.

"Probably, like, just horsing around... _Boys_." Kitty shook her head, "It must have been, like, awful, living with nothing but boys and a sadistic shapeshifter. And Todd does chase you pretty hard..."

"..." She couldn't bring herself to say that Todd was in any way boyfriend material, but she had to admit he wasn't a total loss, "Todd's... _Sincere_. He was a gentleman. Pathetic, annoying, clingy and weird, but a gentleman."

Both girls gaped in shock at The Scarlet Witch.

"I didn't say that I _liked_ him! I'm just saying he has a very, very, _very_ few good qualities."

"I hate to admit it, but he _is_ kind of _cute_..."

"_Tabby?!_"

"Well he _is_. He has those big puppy-dog eyes, and a cute nose-"

Wanda shuddered. She agreed with her, but she didn't want anyone to know that Todd Tolensky was in any way 'cute' in her eyes.

Kitty wrinkled her nose, "I think I'll stick with Lance, he's a perverted jerk, but he's a _good-looking_ perverted jerk."

"Looks aren't everything. Look at Pietro-" Tabby covered her mouth a few seconds too late, "Sorry, Wanda."

Wanda shrugged, "It's okay. Pietro can be a total jack-ass sometimes."

"And then there's Duncan, king of the jack-asses." Kitty practically spat out the name.

"You do know that Thomas got a legal restraining order keeping Duncan away from all of us?" Tabby smiled, "And he got him fired. That Thomas is a strange kid, but he's very good at dealing with problems like Duncan."

Wanda finally laughed, "Or Scott, or Mystique. That boy's crazy. I think he has a death wish or something."

"If he had a death wish, he'd hit on Kyle. If Kyle didn't kill him, Laura would..."

...

When Thomas Salmons slung his arm around the seated Berzerker and smiled, Ray Carter had a bad feeling.

"So, Ray, I was thinking. I know it's not my place, but... If you want to have a date with Scaleface, I'd be more than happy to lend you my _El Camino_."

Ray considered the offer, it would be nice to take Scaleface somewhere romantic, but there was one problem.

"I don't have insurance, remember?"

"You do now." Thomas said simply.

"I... What?"

"You're fully insured." Thomas smiled, "It's in the glove compartment, with copies in Xavier's files and my personal attorney's office."

Ray stared at him for a moment, "You bought me insurance?"

"Yes. I can't have you driving my car uninsured."

"Thank you..." Ray didn't know what else to say.

Thomas grinned and practically jumped into his chair, "That's what friends are for."

...

To be continued...

Notes-

Ray is like 6'1", Tom is 5' 2", so Ray would have to be sitting down for Thomas to put his arm around his shoulder.

So many fans pair Todd and Kurt. They're both about the same size and age, very acrobatic, and their fights are pretty... _Entertaining_...


	39. Chapter 39

Snakehead

39

...

Scaleface took one look at Ray and the _El Camino_ and grinned.

"Graduated to stealing cars, Ray?"

"Ha-Ha." He smiled, "I borrowed it."

"With or without permission."

"Just get in." He opened the passenger side door. Scaleface looked over the shiny car and it's impeccable leather interior.

"Nice." She slid inside and buckled in. "But the back seat's not big enough."

Ray blushed, "We're not goin' to make-out point..."

Her fingers stroked his burning cheek, "You're so cute when you're embarrassed."

He gave a shy smile.

"You're even cuter when you're shy..."

...

Thomas looked up from his book to the door, "Who is it?"

"Vic."

"Come on in, it's not locked."

Anole walked into the room and fixed Thomas with an angry stare. Thomas was absolutely confused.

"What did I do?"

"Are you gay, in denial, or do you just have a poor sense of humor?"

"Uh... Poor sense of humor..." He suddenly realized what the problem was, "Oh, Vic. I'm sorry, man, I didn't mean to mock or offend anybody... I was just teasing Todd, he was being a jerk and strutting around naked, showing off. I honestly do think he's cute, though, and I can't see why girls treat him like the plague..."

"You share a room with _Ray Crisp_ and you think about_ Todd Tolensky_?"

Thomas didn't know how to respond to that.

Vic smiled, "Todd's cute, but Ray... He's like, _perfect_."

"I refuse to answer any questions about Ray's body on the grounds that he'd fry me like a chicken."

"Classic Ray. He's kinda shy for such a hot guy... Roberto said that he's like _monster_ huge."

"_Fried chicken..._" Thomas tried to hum innocently, but it came out as an annoying buzz. "There won't be much left of Roberto when Ray finds out he told you that."

"What about Todd? You've seen him naked..."

_This just keeps getting better and better_.

"He's bigger than you'd think, but don't tell him I told you that."

Vic grinned knowingly, "So you keep track of other boys' _dick sizes_ and still say you're _not_ gay?"

"I can't help it if the boy can't keep his clothes on..."

_"Denial..." _Vic laughed.

There was a rapid fire knock at the door.

"Sounds like that prick-er-_jerk_ Pietro." Thomas face-palmed.

There was an odd sound outside the door, a kind of muffled noise.

"What the..."

He ran over and opened the door. There was a large box with a very unhappy Toad tied up and gagged with a pink ribbon in his hair.

"Todd!"

Both boys rushed over and began to help Toad, Vic slashing the duct-tape with his claws and Thomas taking out the gag.

"PIETRO! YOU COWARD! Come back and fight me like a man, fool!"

Thomas lifted up Todd and carried him into the room as Anole dragged in the box.

"I'll kill that jerk!"

Todd looked around.

_ Thomas_ and_ Anole._

_I'm_ literally _screwed..._

"Are you alright Todd?"

"Why me?" He moaned, "Why don't any_ girls_ show me this kind of attention, yo?"

Vic pulled the ribbon from Todd's hair and smiled, "You're right, he _is_ adorable."

"I'm a ladies' man, Dawg. I don' swing that way!"

"Pietro did this too you?"

"Yeah, I was just walking to my room, next thing I know, I'm a Christmas present, yo."

"You know we can't let this go unavenged." Thomas said gravely, "Let's find Bobby, he's the prankster... Too bad Ray's not here, he could come up with some truly wicked ideas for dealing with Pietro..."

...

Ray and Scaleface sat in a Chinese restaurant, enjoying the soft lighting and good food. Scaleface rarely got out of the tunnels, and Ray wanted to show her a good time while he could. He chose it because the booths were fairly private and the lighting was just low enough to be romantic.

"It's been a long time since I had Chinese, well, that I didn't steal, anyway."

Ray looked around nervously.

"You've gotten jumpy since you left." She laughed softly, "Remember that time you snuck into that seafood place and got us both shrimp dinners?"

"I barely dodged the cops that time..." He smiled, "Not to mention that guy that wanted to break my hands."

She took his right hand, "That would be a shame, you have such quick fingers. You used to be quite the pick pocket, too, one of the best..."

"I still have skills," He leaned forward, "Like picking locks, hotwiring cars..."

"And what does Xavier think of this?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I only use my powers for good, and the occasional prank."

"You always were the little troublemaker."

"_Little_! I'm eighteen and over six feet tall!"

She took a bite of Peking Duck.

"_And_ you have a cute butt." She smirked as he blushed, for such a popular boy, he was shy as Hell, "You should buy some skinny jeans to highlight your _assets_." He nearly choked at that, and she reached out and took his hand, "No, I like you shy and sweet. And I don't want to have to share you."

Ray thought guiltily of several short relationships he'd had since breaking up with Scaleface and leaving the Morlocks. Nothing had really _happened_, he was a good kid, but still...

And whether Scaleface thought his butt was cute or not, she could (and had) kick it six ways to Sunday.

...

Scott Summers opened his door to find a large box, with a very unhappy Pietro Maximoff tied up and gagged, with a pink bow in his hair. His feet were covered in a familiar, foul smelling green goo. He heard familiar laughter and turned to see several boys running the other way.

"I don't want to know."

He was ready to shut the door and leave Pietro there when Xavier's voice entered his mind and told him to let the brat go. He considered letting him go out the window, but decided it wasn't worth facing charges.

"YOUJERKSCOMEBACKHEREIMGONNAKILLYOU!"

He considered putting the gag back on the speedster, but knew Xavier wouldn't approve.

"_Why me_?" He moaned.

"WHYYOU?IMTHEONEWHOSALLTIEDUPHEREYOUJERK!"

"Shut up, Pietro!"

...

To be continued...

Scott and Pietro deserve each other.

I wrote the scene with Anole to show that I'm not trying to make fun of gay people, I just have a poor sense of humor.


	40. Chapter 40

Snakehead

40

Berzerker and Scaleface walked back to the car. The sun was setting in the sky, casting a orange glow across Bayville. Morlocks like Scaleface preferred the night, as fewer people were on the streets and their mutations were less obvious.

Aside from her blue hair, Scaleface appeared totally 'human', it was only when she activated her powers to become a large dragon that her nature became obvious. Ray, of course, looked 'human' as well, so much so that he was rather popular among girls (and a few guys). Still, he counted himself lucky as to have a pretty girl like Scaleface interested in him

"You know Ray, this is an _El Camino_... It has a padded bed..." She indicated the 'truck' portion of the vehicle.

"You _are_ a pervert..." Ray smirked.

"Like you aren't..."

"Between my powers and yours, we'd total the car, you'd get fried and I'd get slashed..." Ray pointed out, but he was wise enough to leave out the probability of being crushed beneath Scaleface's body, "Besides, I'm an old fashioned guy..."

"With an orange sunburst in your hair, and before that a giant mohawk?" She grinned, "I know what you're saying, though." Marriage among Morlocks was far less formal, with Callisto simply proclaiming a couple wed. It was sweet that Ray was waiting, though it gave the surface girls more time to corrupt him, to lure him even further away...

She put a firm hand on his shoulder and swung the boy around to face her. His eyes widened as her's turned red, "If you leave me for one of these surface girls, Ray, I _will_ kill you."

"I-I-I wouldn't dream of it!"

"What about that little thing with Jubilee? Or Boom-Boom?"

Ray was stuttering and shaking a little. _Oh crap! I should have known they were watching me!_ "I-I thought y-you didn't want to be around me! After I left, and after that time I tried to come back and you nearly_ set me on fire.._."

She smiled and gently stroked his cheek, "Yeah, I guess I was a _bit_ rough on you." She ran a hand through his hair, "Besides, if I'd really meant to kill you in The Tunnels, you'd be dead by now..."

His expression turned grave, sad. "I just can't see how we can be together, _really_ together. I can't come back to The Morlocks, and you won't come to the surface... Sure, we can meet like this, but..."

Scaleface sighed, "I know, but you know how possessive dragons can be. I guess we really do live in different worlds. You believe that you can help save the world, and I believe it's best to avoid trouble."

"Somebody has to protect people," He said gently, "I have powers that can help, I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing."

"You're a good man. A stupid, naïve, man-child with a Martyr Complex, but a good man..." Scaleface leaned forward and kissed Ray on the cheek, "I guess that's why I love you, even if you did leave me."

Ray arched an eyebrow, "Man-child?"

"I notice that you didn't object to any of the other terms I used."

He smiled, "Are you gonna kick my 'cute' little butt again?"

"Maybe, I'm sure you've done _something_ to deserve it."

He laughed, "I probably have. I know Scott wants to kick my tail..."

She took him in her arms, "Too bad for him, but you're mine, and I don't share."

She kissed him, and he kissed her back, gently.

"Well," He said finally, "The night is young..."

...

To be continued...


	41. Chapter 41

Snakehead

41

"You know, Ray, you make a good X-Man."

Ray turned to Scaleface in shock. He'd never thought she'd say anything so positive about his 'defection'.

"I remember how you took charge of all those kids after those idiots blew up your school, and brought them to The Tunnels so they'd be safe. How you fought off those cops to give them time to escape, even though you'd been hurt in the explosion too..."

He blushed a bit, "That was just what I had to do. You'd have done the same thing."

"You're a good leader. And you've got guts. I know that I wouldn't have been able to face down Apocalypse."

"I fought _Storm_..."

"And she nearly fried you, but," She smiled, "You helped defeat Apocalypse." She smiled and poked him in the chest, "You helped save the world." She smirked evilly, "And that tight black X-Man uniform really looks good on you."

He chuckled, "You have a one track mind." He swallowed deeply, "Michelle?"

Scaleface's eyes widened. Morlocks rarely used their 'human' names, the only reason she called Ray 'Ray' instead of Berzerker was that he had left them.

Ray knew he was taking a chance with such a bold move.

"Ray?" She said softly.

His voice was low, almost a whisper, "Thank you. Thank you for putting up with a jerk like me."

She laughed, "You're a hero, and most heroes are jerks. Look at Cyclops."

"I'm serious. I _left_ you behind. I left everything behind. I still think I made the right choice to become an X-Man, but I'll never forget The Morlocks, or you. The way we fought, the things I said..."

"Are nothing. I threw a few good verbal punches too _and_ kicked your adorable butt." She sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "I know you still look out for us. And... I think... You were _right_ to join The X-Men. The surface isn't for me, not yet, but you shine far more up here than down below."

He turned quickly to wipe his eyes, hoping she wouldn't notice.

She did, but as she was wiping her own eyes, she didn't say anything about it.

...

The next day,

Thomas Salmons had done some truly stupid things in his fifteen-odd years, but this took the cake.

It began fairly innocently, Thomas and Ray walking down the hallway, discussing the latter's recent date with Scaleface, when a terrified figure rushed past them. Both stood in shock as Kyle Gibney, A.K.A. _Wildchild_, fled as if The Devil himself were chasing him. He was shirtless, and his jeans were shredded as to be almost pointless, exposing _far_ more of himself than he'd likely want the other students to see. Marks looking suspiciously like _bites_ adorned his tan skin, mainly around the neck and collarbones.

"Kyle?"

Kyle just continued running, and it quickly became apparent _why_.

Wolverine rushed around the corner from which Kyle had emerged, claws out and a mad gleam in his eyes, with X-23 trying to hold him back and merely being drug along for the ride.

_Oh, God... Laura and Kyle?_ Ray face-palmed, mourning his soon to be departed friend.

As Logan rounded the corner like an enraged bull, Thomas did the dumbest thing anyone could do.

He stepped between an enraged father and a fleeing boyfriend.

Logan hit him headlong, and the two fell with an audible snap of breaking bone as Ray and X-23 looked on in horror. Logan looked down at the prone student beneath him and terror replaced the rage in his eyes.

_"THOMAS!?"_

...

Thomas Salmons slowly opened his eyes. The room was bright, and he could feel sharp pains in his chest and right arm.

"Thomas?" It was Hank's voice.

He was in the medical wing.

"Tom?" Berzerker's voice held a hint of concern.

Thomas tried to sit up, but felt a sudden vertigo.

"Don't try to move, Thomas. You have a concussion. Not to mention three broken ribs and a broken arm... Do you know where you are?"

"I am in my palace in Har'Akir, of course." He smirked painfully, "Anybody get the number of that planet that hit me?"

"If you didn't have a concussion, I'd smack you, fool." Toad's voice, "Wolverine nearly killed you."

"That was an accident Todd, _apparently_." Hank sighed, "Logan feels bad enough about this as it is."

"He _should,_ yo!"

Hank's furry blue face hovered over him, concern in his eyes.

"Kyle?" Thomas asked softly.

"Young Mr. Gibney is still alive and in one piece, as you expected when you_ stepped_ in front of a rampaging Wolverine." The voice was Xavier's, "Logan is so consumed with guilt about hurting you that he stopped his pursuit. In fact, he has left the mansion entirely... Perhaps in the future you would do well to remember that Kyle has a _healing factor_, and _you do not_."

"Of all the girls in all the world, why did he have to pick_ Logan's_ daughter?" Tom moaned helplessly.

"Regardless of teenage hormones and animal attraction, you were nearly killed in that reckless stunt."

"It wasn't a reckless stunt, it was a _brilliant strategy_..." Tom sighed, "Were all still alive."

"Yes, but Logan has fled to God-knows-where in a haze of self-hatred and Kyle blames himself..."

"I think I've finally found my niche, Professor... I'm a_ human shield_." Tom said sadly, then passed out again.

...

Logan's mind was in turmoil as his motorcycle raced its way to Canada.

He knew he should have stayed, apologized to Thomas directly, but who knew how the kid would react? He might be traumatized.

He'd done it on purpose.

That really burned in Logan's mind.

Thomas had intentionally stepped in his path to give Kyle time to escape.

To protect his friend.

That didn't make it any less painful, for either of them.

He'd overreacted to Kyle. He knew about their relationship, he could smell their unique scents and pheromones. Kyle was one of his best students, a friend, even. But seeing the boy nearly naked with his daughter...

He'd snapped.

He didn't want to think of what he would have done to Kyle if he had caught him. Probably would have sliced his dick off...

His lips twisted in a humorless grin, Laura was clearly the dominate one. She'd probably convinced Kyle to come to her room (Not that most boys his age needed much convincing to go to a pretty girl's room), and she'd clearly been tearing his clothes off.

Poor Kyle let his pecker do his thinking. That didn't excuse him, not a bit, but Logan had to face the unpleasant fact that his daughter was most likely the seducer in this case.

He didn't _want_ to know how far they'd gone in the past.

But right now what mattered was that he'd lost control. He'd seriously hurt an innocent kid and tried to mangle another one.

How could he face them, any of them, after that?

How could his students trust him, look up to him, when he could turn on them like that?

No. It was better this way.

...

When he opened his eyes again, Kyle was standing over him, green eyes filled with regret.

"Kyle..."

"I'm sorry, Tom, I'm so sorry." His rough voice seemed to break a bit.

"It wasn't your fault Logan came to visit Laura unannounced." His eyes narrowed, "Still, what the Hell were you _thinking_? _Wolverine's daughter_? And they say _I_ have a death wish!"

"Me an' Laura's had this thing for a while now, Logan could smell us on each other, he just couldn't catch us. Until last night... Laura's pretty rough, and when he came in an' saw his little girl rippin' my clothes off an' bitin' me... Well..."

"How _much_ of you did he see?"

Kyle moaned, "Pretty much_ everything_..."

"Please, _please_ tell me you didn't have a_ boner..._"

Kyle blushed, confirming his worst fears.

"May God have mercy on your poor, horny soul..." He groaned, "Listen, I can have you on a plane for anywhere in the world in half an hour, all I need is my phone... I don't want all of these injuries to be for nothing when he comes back and kills you..."

"I love Laura and she loves me. I can't leave her..."

"Please, at least lay low for a while... I recommend_ Rapa Nui_, it's probably the most isolated place on earth."

"You want me to hide on Easter Island?"

"I can't see Logan having any reason to go there..."

"Thomas!" It was Richard's voice, and Richard and Marcus Salmons rushed into the room, followed closely by Dr. McCoy.

Thomas was propped up in bed, his right arm in a cast and bandages wrapped around his thin, bare chest. His small body was covered in bruises, and a collar held his neck in place. That blond boy, the wild-looking one, Kyle, was sitting beside the bed, a worried expression on his face. There were cards and gifts already piling up around him.

Neither man knew quite what to say. 'Are you alright?' was pointless.

"If I have to miss my own wedding because of this, Tom, there will be blood." Richard grinned slightly. "You're my best man, after all."

Hank put a hand on Kyle's shoulder, "Kyle, perhaps you should go back to your room for now, and let them speak in private. Besides, visitor's hours ended over an hour ago."

"Bye, Tom..." Kyle left quickly, from their lack of interest in him it appeared that the Salmons didn't yet know it was _his_ butt Thomas was injured saving, and he didn't want to be around when they did.

...

"So this Wolverine simply barreled you over like a bowling pin?"

"No, it wasn't like that. He honestly didn't see me until, well, we collided."

"What was he doing charging down the hallways of a dormitory full of children like a lunatic?"

_He found a boy being molested by his daughter and tried to kill him,_ He thought wryly, how could he explain this without getting anyone in trouble? He shrugged, and immediately regretted it as pain shot through his shoulders.

"Uh... You see... He found his daughter with a boy..."

Richard would have laughed if not for his brother's obvious pain. "Overprotective daddy?"

"Yeah, people tend to forget that it takes _two_ to Tango._ She's_ the Alpha in this relationship... She tried to stop him, so did Xavier, but he was in a berserker state."

A look of understanding dawned on Rick's face, but he kept his mouth shut.

"He was trying to kill a boy who was... _With_ his daughter?" Marcus said in a surprisingly even voice, "And he got _you_ instead?"

"Basically." Tom conceded, "Ray and I were walking back to our room, poor kid ran by, Wolverine hit me like a brick wall and I was out."

"What about the other boy? And Ray?"

"Ray was out of the way and wasn't hit, and the other boy escaped." Tom smiled.

"Lucky for him you were in the way." Richard smiled knowingly.

"Which boy? And where's Logan?"

"Nobody knows where Logan is, he was so upset over what happened to me that he left, he's probably in the woods somewhere taking out his aggression on some unfortunate Wendigo or something. He's really in a bad state, guilt and everything... And the boyfriend, well, he feels terrible too, and blames himself, so does Laura."

"I take it Laura is Logan's daughter?"

"Yeah, we call her X-23."

"And the boy?"

"I'd rather not name him. He's scared and upset and I don't want him hurt."

"This is outrageous!" Marcus shouted, "What kind of school is Xavier running? Kids running around like dogs in heat and instructors going insane and attacking students?"

Marcus rushed out to confront Xavier.

As soon as he was out of the room, Richard turned to his brother, "I knew you were crazy, but _intentionally_ getting run down by Wolverine."

"It's _that_ obvious, huh?"

"Yeah, as is the fact that Kyle is the one you're protecting. That boy was radiating fear and guilt."

"If he'd caught Kyle, he'd have shredded him, but I knew that if he ran into me, he'd be upset at hurting me and forget Kyle." He sighed, "It worked too well, now Logan's half-crazy with guilt and Kyle is upset that I was hurt protecting him, so is Laura. They know it wasn't an accident, Xavier has no problem staring into other people's heads."

"I doubt dad would hurt Kyle, but Wolverine is another matter."

"If dad went against Logan outside of a courtroom, he'd die." He paused, "He's not going to sue Xavier, is he?"

"Once he realizes that could bring unwanted attention to the school and hurt your friends by proxy, I doubt it." Richard looked him over, "_You_ have a _tan?_ I thought you'd burst into flames in the sunlight."

"I've changed a lot since coming here. Me, Ray and some of the others spend a lot of time in the pool."

"I thought Ray would explode on contact with water."

"Only if he's charged. He showers and swims and can stand in the rain just like anyone else when not using his powers, if he's charged up, though, as he put it 'We all fry.' He knows how to control his power, so it's safe to swim with him."

...

Xavier really didn't know how to respond to Marcus' verbal assault. The man was enraged, rightly so, that his son had been so badly injured in what was supposed to be a safe-haven for mutant children, and by a _teacher_ no less.

He also knew that Thomas didn't want Kyle's identity revealed to his father, even though the man held no apparent malice for the boy. His feelings toward Wolverine, however, were quite clear.

"I want him dismissed! It's not safe to have a _savage_ like that around children! He's psychotic!"

"He's feral, Mr. Salmons, not psychotic. He was tortured by a secret government agency and spent years alone in the woods after he escaped. He's suffered-"

"That is _not_ an excuse! I understand wanting to protect your children, but this is insane! The man is a menace! What would he have done if he'd caught the boy he was actually chasing? And why couldn't you stop him?"

"I don't know. Logan is actually rather fond of the boy in question, but he was blinded by rage. I couldn't reach him as quickly as I normally can because of his enraged state, but I sent several instructors to intervene before any real harm could come to the boy. Unfortunately, they arrived seconds _after_ the collision." He shook his head, "Do you realize why Thomas begged me not to reveal the name of the boy involved? He's afraid you'd hurt him, and with your resources you could totally destroy anyone you want. He doesn't want his friend hurt. He also doesn't blame Logan for what happened, at least to him. He's also afraid for you, Logan is a one man army. He's fought the entire complement of Reavers,_ alone_, he fought in both world wars and several other conflicts, aside from battles with the likes of Apocalypse and Magneto. He doesn't want you to get involved and get hurt."

"I don't blame Kyle. Yes, _I know_ it was Kyle, the boy looked at me like he was facing a firing squad or the _guillotine_. He'd be a terrible poker player. It's Logan who is responsible, and I want him punished." He stopped to catch his breath, "He did it on purpose, right? I know Thomas, he's just crazy enough to jump on a grenade to protect a friend."

"Yes. He's a good kid, he was willing to risk his own safety to 'save' Kyle. Unfortunately, he still has self-worth issues, he told me after he woke up that his purpose was as a 'human shield'. Part of it was confusion and medication, but part of it was real emotion. He honestly feels that he is only useful as a source of money and a 'fall-guy'."

Marcus put his head in his hands, "If only I'd accepted him earlier."

"This goes beyond his mutation, possibly all the way back to the death of his mother. I don't think it has anything to do with your former status on mutants, but his own feelings of guilt and inadequacy."

...

"So when do you get to go back to your room?"

"Two or three days. I could probably leave now, but they're worried about the concussion."

"You should be too."

"Hey, you've been shot... Some idiot even hit you with a _harpoon_ one time..."

Richard shrugged, "Yeah, but I had the sense to stay in the hospital until I was better."

Thomas smiled, "If I had any sense, would I be here in the first place?"

"Good point."

"But Kyle wasn't hurt, so I figure it was worth it."

"He seems like a nice kid, for a horn-dog. But, from what I've heard, he has a healing factor..."

"It's nowhere near as effective as Wolverine's... I feel bad about that... Logan, I mean. He knows I caused it, but he still blames himself. He's been through a lot of terrible things in his life, and I just added one more."

"He probably would have felt worse had he castrated one of his students." Richard grinned, "I think Kyle would agree with that. I don't know if his healing factor could fix that..."

"I hope we never need to find out."

"You didn't cause it. Wolverine, Kyle and Laura caused it. Kyle and Laura for fooling around and Logan for acting like the monster in some slasher flick." He frowned, "I'm not saying this was intentional on any of their parts, I'm certain Kyle didn't want Wolverine trying to cut his package off, but they were all kind of irresponsible."

"..."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

As far as I know, Scaleface was never given a name in canon, so I decided on Michelle Luong.

Kyle's the Beta in this relationship, X-23 owns his butt.

In the comics, Richard was mortally wounded by the Marauder Harpoon, and finished off by being shot by Scalphunter.


	42. Chapter 42

Snakehead

42

"I don't think he'd want me to tell you. You know Kyle better than I do."

Anole pouted, "C'mon, I _know_ you saw it..."

"Ask him yourself." Thomas sighed, "I like my internal organs where they are."

"So do I."

"I wasn't paying attention, okay... It was a kind of life-and-death situation."

Anole scratched his scaly chin, "Laura'd probably tell me."

"It's kind of like Ray's..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, without the star-burst thing, the bangs are long in the front, but hang down... It's really nice, but I'm still holding out for a fauxhawk."

"You know, Jubilee's real good with hair, she could style it up for you." Anole smiled, " A fauxhawk... Always figured you for a full-out mohawk guy."

"Tried it once, dad wasn't amused."

"Yeah, parents can be so un-cool..."

...

Logan sat beside a small fire, roasting a pair of rabbits. Chuck had been trying to contact him, but he didn't really want to talk about it. Said something about the kid's father trying to get him fired, but ol' Charlie didn't back down easy. Maybe, he reflected, he should. If he couldn't control his berserker rages around kids, he had no place working at a school. He wasn't like Hank or Cyclops, if he lost it, he could slaughter the whole school.

No, it was better here, alone... In the forest, with nobody to hurt.

But, they would come looking for him. There was no doubt about that. Charlie jus' didn' know when to let go.

And Laura would certainly want him back.

Kyle might even join in the search, kid was a great tracker, and way too forgiving.

He wondered what he should do. He needed to go back, for Laura, and he owed Chuck far more than he could ever repay. But right now, he just needed to be alone.

...

Thomas laughed despite the pain, the scene was just too funny.

Todd Tolensky hopped into the room wearing a familiar, over-sized silver costume, "Quickwart is in the house, yo!"

Thomas rolled his eyes, "Pietro is going to kill you."

"Nobody can catch Quickwart!" Todd stumbled over the over-long costume and fell flat on his face, "'Cept gravity, yo..."

"Oh, really?" Pietro suddenly appeared in the room, arms akimbo, frowning, "GimmebackmycostumeToad!Great,nowIhavetofumigateitagain!"

Within seconds Todd was sprawled naked on the floor as Pietro rushed off to get his uniform disinfected. At least he shut the door behind him, sparing Toad any further humiliation.

"Dude, that was _harsh_!" He sighed, "Why do I keep ending up naked in your room?"

"Maybe if you actually wore underwear..." Thomas sighed wearily, "It's a good thing for you he didn't catch you in the cafeteria."

Todd moaned as Tom pointed to his dresser. He hopped over and pulled out shorts and a t-shirt.

"Thanks, Dawg... Again..."

"Can't have you walking back to your room naked." He paused thoughtfully. "You really do look a lot better, now."

Todd blushed and quickly pulled on the borrowed clothing.

"You've got more muscle tone, and your weight is almost normal." He smiled, "I think you may even have grown a few inches. It's a pity _The Master of Moronism_ and_ The Blue Witch_ didn't feed you guys enough, you could have been a much more formidable force."

"Then we'd be kickin' X-Geek butt instead a living here."

"Hmph! You'd still get your tails handed to you." Ray walked into the room, "And you'd still be serving that lunatic." He flopped into bed, Storm, who had taken over for Logan, had been pretty rough with The Danger Room simulations, and he was tired as Hell.

"Yeah... Mags is a nut-case. He makes Pyro look like the picture a' mental health, yo."

"I've never met Pyro, what's he like?" Thomas shifted to a more comfortable position.

"He's a crazy Aussie pyromaniac who laughs for no reason, is in love with his lighter and lives to burn everything around him."

"Sounds like a real party animal. Remind me to invite him to the next party..." Thomas grinned, "So, have you learned any of the moves from the DVDs I gave you?"

"Yeah, dude. That Ray Park really knows his stuff. He can beat a man down with jus' his _feet_, yo! And you saw him as Darth Maul, that was all him. He's awesome!"

"Yeah, he is. He's a nice guy, too..."

"You actually met him?"

"Yeah, several times. Mainly at Sci-Fi conventions."

Ray laughed, "I shoulda' figured you for a Comic-con nerd. Did ya' go dressed as Spock?"

"I went as Kamakiri from _One Piece_."

Ray laughed, "You went out in public wearing nothing but a grass skirt and a pink feather jacket?

"_Fur_... And it's light red, not pink. And I didn't go commando..." He paused, "How do _you_ know who Kamakiri is?"

"I... Sometimes watch Anime. If there's nothin' else on."

"You make it sound like bad thing..." He smiled, "And Kamakiri is pretty obscure outside of _One Piece_ fans..."

"OKAY! I watch Anime! There's nothing wrong with that, okay!?"

Todd grinned, mentally noting this as blackmail material. "But he's muscular an' dark-skinned and you're one of the skinniest, whitest white boys I've ever seen."

"Spray on tan."

"And the mohawk?"

"Sadly, dad wouldn't let me keep it. I still think it looked great on me, though. Before that I was Jan Valentine from _Hellsing_."

"I remember him, that sick, psycho vampire that couldn't finish a sentence with using the 'F' word, yo. He was dark-skinned too, and he had a lot of facial piercings..."

"Clip-ons. And I didn't use his foul language..."

"I've heard you cuss before."

"Nothing like _that_... Boy had a mouth like a sewer."

"Like Todd?" Ray grinned.

"You're the expert on sewers, fool."

Ray's eyes flashed and his face twisted in rage. Todd let out a small shriek and cowered behind Tom.

"Yeah, that's me, _The Amazing Human Shield Boy_..." Tom said calmly. He'd never seen Ray so angry, but he wasn't willing to back down "Cool it, Ray. You know he's like me, speaking without thinking."

Ray was standing now, glaring, "You ever say a word against The Morlocks again, _Toad_, and I'll fry you no matter who you're hiding behind."

"Ray, he didn't mean it. You know that." Tom hadn't flinched.

"Do I?" Ray turned and stormed out.

Tom let out a relieved sigh, he had no desire to die just yet, and Ray had already (accidentally) proven that electricity could really hurt him.

Thomas turned as best he could to look at the terrified boy behind him, "He'll calm down, he's just had a hard day, that's all... But take his advice, _never_ talk about his past like that."

Todd just whimpered.

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Ray finally goes Berzerker. He's been such a calm, sweet guy so far as to be OOC, but he's still Berzerker, that hot-tempered teenage time bomb.

_Kamakiri_ is a Shandian warrior from the _Skypeia_ Arc of _One Piece_. He's a tall, handsome, brown-skinned, muscular warrior with a mohawk, big red glasses, large earrings, a fur jacket thing and a relatively modest grass skirt (compared to his exhibitionist team leader Wiper, who does go commando.) I've only seen one person cosplay him, and she was a woman... He carries a spear and is the second most powerful warrior in his entire tribe.

_Jan Valentine_ was a dark-skinned, handsome, perverted, foul-mouthed, sadistic vampire punk with numerous piercings on his face and body. He and his brother, (who was white as a sheet), attacked the Hellsing group and wiped out two-thirds of their army. He lasted a little longer than his fancy-pants brother, Luke, before being shot multiple times, losing his arm and being burned to death by his handlers to avoid capture. He had an incredibly foul mouth and a truly perverted sense of humor. His name is pronounced 'Yon'.

Ray Park is awesome. And nice, too. And handsome...


	43. Chapter 43

Snakehead

43

Berzerker was tired. A long, hard training session, then blowing his top at Toad and wandering aimlessly around the school.

He just wanted to go to bed.

He walked to his room and went in, only to find Toad still there. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I-uh-I" Toad gasped, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to insult The Morlocks! Please don't kill me, yo!"

"Forget it." He said, and yawned, "Go away, I need some sleep."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"I said go away."

"Bye Todd." Tom said cheerfully.

"See ya! Toad out!" Toad hopped away.

"Thanks, Ray." Thomas smiled.

"Don't thank me, I'm just too tired to kill him."

Thomas took off the vocal projector and set it on the nightstand with Jabba. Ray had turned out the lights and slid out of his uniform, too tired to bother showering, Tom, of course, could see in the dark and didn't need the lights to get ready for bed. He watched as Ray curled up around his pillow and fell asleep.

He sighed, so much had happened lately. It was a bit too much for people to deal with, himself included.

He pulled on the covers for his eyes and got as comfortable as he could.

...

"Well, I guess ole' Baldy got tired of smellin' your hide, runt?"

Logan didn't bother to turn, "I don' see you with Mags, Vic."

Sabretooth grinned, displaying vicious teeth, "Let's jus' say we had a religious disagreement, Magneto thinks he's God, an' I don'."

"So you don't want to _try_ to rip me to shreds?"

"I didn' say that, runt. Jus' came to tell ya' yer on my turf." He clawed a nearby tree, "See, it don' have no blue, shapeshifting witches, no nutcase arsonist kids, annoying Cajuns or would-be-Messiahs, an' I like it that way."

"Listen Vic, I've had a really ugly last few days, an' I'm goin' North until I run outta trees. You can keep yer territory, I'm jus' passin' through."

Sabretooth looked him over for a moment, "Never known you to turn down a good scrap. Lose yer healin' factor or somethin'?"

Wolverine began loading his things onto his motorbike, "No. I jus' wanna get as far North as I can so I can get some friggin' peace an' quiet. Not that I wouldn' enjoy rippin' yer insides out, but you ain't worth the time."

Vic just watched as Logan loaded up his stuff and rode away.

"Well, that was no fun..." Sabretooth grumbled.

...

"Do you want me to come?"

Laura knew that Kyle was an excellent tracker, he had actually lived among wolves for a time, but she highly doubted that her 'father' would react well to his presence. "No. It's best you stay here. He may not have forgiven you yet, and I don't want him to hurt you."

As Beta, Kyle had little say in the matter. He simply shrugged. Laura leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you." She whispered, "He knows you're a good mate for me. He was just angry..."

Kyle smiled grimly, "Perhaps I should take Thomas up on his offer and flee the country."

"It wouldn't help." She ran a hand through his blond hair, "Besides, what would I do without you?"

"You'd be happy."

"Don't say that! I can't picture a better mate for me than you."

Kyle blushed a bit. He'd never had much self-esteem, despite being one of the most effective fighters in the school.

"I'm sure..."

"I chose you! Out of all the available males here, I chose you. Because you're the best. You're the one I want, the only one..."

He smiled. "Thanks."

...

"And then she said that Pyro was cute! _Pyro_!"

Thomas had quickly learned that having his hair styled by a teenage girl meant enduring said girl and her friends constant gossiping.

"Isn't he?" He asked innocently. He'd seen pictures of the young man, he was fairly good looking.

Jubilee and Kitty were silent for a moment.

"Uh... I..."

He smiled, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Don't put words in my mouth!" Jubilee huffed.

"Never piss off an angry girl with scissors in your hair." He remarked calmly.

"That's right. I could give you a buzz-cut!" She laughed and turned to Kitty, "So, anyway, how have you _not_ killed Lance yet?"

Kitty frowned, "He's improving. After that incident with that Frost woman everyone was drooling over in the restaurant, he's been a lot more attentive."

"Probably because of the black eye you gave him." Jubilee grinned wickedly.

_Poor Lance_, Tom thought, _How'd he get suckered into this?_

Kitty turned to Tom, "So, anyone peak your interest?"

"Not looking right now."

"Oh, c'mon, there's got to be somebody you like!" She smirked, "Is it Pyro?"

"I've never met the guy. And despite popular rumors, I'm not gay."

He could see Jubilee mouth the word '_denial_' to Kitty, who began giggling wildly.

"The poisonous snake growing out of my mouth would make any relationship difficult, don't you think?"

Kitty smiled innocently, "Who's better looking, Cloud, Sephiroth, Reno, Rude, Tseng, Vincent or Zack?"

"Reno." He replied without thinking, then instantly turned as red as said character's hair. As the girls began to laugh he silently cursed them and face-palmed.

"You tricked me! I said he was good-looking, not that I would _date_ him!" He objected angrily.

"So, you like skinny, red-headed bad-boys..." Jubilee snickered.

"Reno is dreamy though..." Kitty sighed. "You should read some of Jube's stories, she has one about Reno and Axel..."

Thomas moaned, the two biggest mouths at Xavier's had tricked him into a blackmailable remark.

"I can't wait to tell Tabby!"

"Maybe we _should_ set you up with John! He's a red-head..."

"You're both dead." Tom growled, "No one will ever find the bodies..." _If I didn't have a broken arm, I'd so be bringin' death by Konami..._

Both girls just giggled harder.

"You girls ever cosplay?" He asked.

"Well, Lance bought me this adorable maid outfit..."

Tom shuddered, "That's not what I meant..."

"I have. I went as Sailor Moon."

_Figures._

"I've been Kamakiri from _One Piece_ and Jan Valentine from _Hellsing_. Next time I'm going as Abumi Zaku. Then maybe Jan again, or Demyx..."

"Kamakiri? _You_ wore a grass skirt!" Jubilee nearly choked on her bubblegum. Kitty had no idea who Kamakiri was, but the words 'grass skirt' sent her into a fit.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh at the injured kid..." Tom groused.

"You know," Jubilee eyed him appraisingly, "You're about the right height, weight and complexion as Kenshin."

"Yeah, short, skinny and pale."

"Kenshin has red hair too."

"I have brown hair."

"One word: Wig."

"Hey, you might make a good Reno..."

More giggling.

"Fortunately, there are several such events a year, so I can use all of them in turn. I won't be going as Kamakiri again, though."

Jubilee smiled, "You just gave me an awesome idea! Now I just have to write a slash fanfic about Reno and Jan..."

Thomas felt a wave of nausea roll over him.

"So, Tom," Kitty leaned forward, "Do you have any pics of you in costume?"

Tom rolled his eyes, "God, what did I do to deserve this?"

...

To be continued...

Notes:

The 'death by Konami' line is an abbreviation of one of Jan Valentine's infamous expressions, I just cut out the 'Mother-F'n' part.


	44. Chapter 44

Snakehead

44

Thomas Salmons sat in the control room with his 'good friend' Scott Summers and watched the rest of C-Team fight their way through The Danger Room. There were few benefits to being injured, and missing training sessions was one of them.

"What are all the giant tentacles for? How often do we run into giant tentacles?"

Scott snorted, "More often than you'd think." He was trying not to be impressed by Toad's sudden knowledge of martial arts.

Thomas' cell phone pinged, he picked it up, looked at it in disbelief, and said something about Jubilee, death and _Konami_.

"What is it? And why do you have your cell phone here?"

Jubilee had sent him a 'gift'. It was a picture of St. John Allerdyce, A.K.A. Pyro, an obvious selfie. He was standing in front of a mirror, grinning madly. He was shirtless and with his sweat pants hanging so low on his hips that it was obvious his hair was naturally red. The text beneath it said _Found this on Facebook, thought you'd enjoy it_...

Too late he noticed Scott standing behind him, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. "Should have known Pyro would have a Facebook account..." He chuckled, "Still can't resist fraternizing with the enemy, Salmons?"

"Jubilee's evil..." Thomas quickly switched off the phone, his face reddening, "And I don't even know Pyro..."

There was a loud 'boom' as Tabby blew up a tentacle.

"Don't kids realize what kind of freaks and perverts could be drooling over their pictures?"

Scott shook his head, "Probably not... Why, are _you_ drooling, Salmons?"

Thomas shot him a killing glare.

"Uh... Tom, did you know that... Well... Your eyes have a bit of green in them?"

Tom looked at him incredulously, "My eyes are brown."

"Maybe we should go to the medical wing."

Scott ended the session early, much to the team's relief.

...

"There is a definite tinge of green in your eyes, Thomas." Hank smiled, "It hasn't affected your vision in any way that I can detect. It's most likely just a secondary mutation, nothing to worry about."

"Will I end up with green eyes?"

"Possibly. There's nothing wrong with green eyes."

"Except the fact that I was born with brown eyes. How many more changes am I going to go through? Will I end up looking like that Slither guy, a snake with arms and legs?"

"Probably not..." Hank scratched his chin, "That's interesting though... You share similar names."

"What do you mean?"

"Your name is Thomas Salmons, Slither's real name is Aaron Saloman... Perhaps you have a mutant relative after all."

"We do have some relatives named Saloman." Thomas' eyes widened, "Is it possible?"

"Neither name is very common, so I'd say it's highly likely. I'll ask Dr. Sugarman to compare your DNA..." He smiled, "Nice fauxhawk, by the way."

"Thanks, Jubilee styled it. Pity I'm going to have to kill her."

Hank frowned, "Why?"

"Personal reasons."

"You know what Charles said, no killing people..."

"I'll just kill her a little." Thomas whined.

"No killing."

Thomas gave an exaggerated pout.

...

"That is so groovy!"

Forge ran his hand, his non-cybernetic hand, over the _El Camino_. "They just don't make cars like they used to..."

"Is it a car, or a truck?" Ray asked absently, "Tom calls it a 'car-truck'"

"And he lets you drive it?"

"He's cool like that."

The two boys couldn't look more different, both were handsome, but were literally decades apart. a tall, light skinned boy with blond hair and orange bangs wearing casual clothes and a short, dark, Native American boy wearing a tie-dye t-shirt, bell-bottoms and beads. One of the latter's arms was clearly cybernetic.

The only thing they had in common was that both were wearing sandals.

"It's weird, not seeing Logan here." Forge looked over to where Logan's motorcycle usually sat, "A real bummer."

"He'll come back. When he's ready."

"Yeah," Forge sighed, getting back to the issue that had brought him here, "So you said that Pierce designed the vocal projector?"

"Yep. Like I said, though, it sounds like a Dalek... I guess he was too busy building murderous cyborg assassins to-" He looked at his friend's mechanical arm, "No offense."

"None taken."

"I mean, the guy's a real genius, you'd think he could have made it sound more, well, _Natural_. I guess he couldn't be bothered with it."

Forge's eyes lit up, "I've wanted to get my hands on some of Pierce's work for a long time. He's like an evil Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance man. Shame he wasted his genius..."

"Even bigger shame for the people he murdered."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

And Forge appears!

Slither - Aaron Saloman is a canon villain who has the body of a snake and the arms and legs of a man, he can use his limbs and neck to constrict around others bodies like an anaconda. He doesn't have a tail, though.


	45. Chapter 45

Snakehead

45

...

"Come in."

Ray entered the room with a dark-skinned boy with a metal arm and dressed in 1970's clothing, "Hey, Tom, this is Forge. Remember, I told you about him, super-genius, temporally displaced from the '70's..."

Thomas smiled and shook the boy's hand, "Thomas Salmons. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Forge did his best not to wince at the sound of the other boy's mechanical voice.

"Is that _El Camino_ your's? It's totally groovy."

"Yeah, they don't make cars like that anymore..."

Ray smiled, "That's exactly what Forge said when he saw it."

"So, I... I wanted to examine your vocal projector and see if I could make it sound more natural."

Ray shrugged, Forge was a good kid, but his social skills were severely lacking.

"Of course."

Thomas took off the device and handed it to the young genius, who immediately began examining it.

"Yeah... I think I can work with this..."

...

Fifteen minutes later,

"All fixed."

Forge handed the device to Tom, who strapped it on.

"So, how do I sound?"

There was no metallic tinge, nothing indicated that he was not a normal fifteen-year old boy speaking save for the fact that his lips did not move.

"That's amazing...I sound... _Human._"

Ray patted Forge on the back, "Awesome job, man!"

"If I didn't have a broken arm, I'd hug you!" Tom was grinning madly, "How can I ever repay you?"

Forge grinned, "Maybe you could let me ride along in the _El Camino_ sometime."

"A man who appreciates fine automotive engineering! Of course you can ride along!"

...

Later,

"Come on..."

"I was NOT crying!"

"Every time they mentioned Tadashi I heard you sniffling, yo."

Ray hissed in frustration as Thomas and Todd looked on in amusement.

"I was not crying, and if you tell anyone that I was..."

"Yeah, yeah, fried frog-legs..."

There was a knock at the door, and Ray opened it to find Jean standing there.

"Oh... Hi Miss Gray..."

"Ray. Good to see you," She looked over at Todd and Thomas, "But I'm actually hear to see Thomas."

"What is it with you and red-heads, yo?"

Thomas slapped the boy in the back of the head, "Shut up."

Jean laughed, "Guess what, you're going on your first mission."

Everyone's jaws dropped.

Thomas sighed, "Eh... With respect, I kind of have a broken arm..."

"We don't expect any conflict. Cerebro has just picked up a young mutant in need of help, and we need to get to him before Magneto."

"Okay. Where to?"

"Switzerland."

...

The X-Jet sat down near an old church on an isolated mountain top. Xavier, Kurt, Thomas and Jean began to disembark. They were dressed casually, not wanting to frighten the already confused and terrified boy.

"_Simon Hall_? That doesn't sound like a Swiss name." Kitty remarked.

Simon Hall was a young mutant with the ability to alter his physical structure to literally merge with other physical objects, such as walls, and pass through them safely. He was scared, alone and desperate for someone to lead him, making him a perfect victim for Magneto.

"He is hiding in a church..." Kurt said softly, "Just as I was..."

Jean pushed Xavier toward the front doors of the weathered, apparently abandoned church.

Thomas caught a glimpse of a pale, freckled young face with uncombed red hair staring out of the wall before swiftly ducking back into the stone.

"He's a red-head, Jubilee will never shut up now..." Thomas sighed.

Kitty giggled as everyone else looked at him in confusion.

...

Simon's mind was racing.

_Who are these people_?

_Have they come to kill me_?

They didn't look like killers, three kids (One of them with a broken arm), a woman and an old man in a wheelchair. But he knew that anyone can dangerous. It could be a trap, to lure him out. But the one boy... He was... Blue and fuzzy... Why would a freak want to kill a freak?

_No Simon, we have not come to harm you. We want to help you. _

The boy looked around the ruined church in terror, where was that voice coming from?

_My name is Professor Charles Xavier, and like you, I am a mutant. I am speaking to you with my mind. _

"What's a mutant?" He whispered.

_Mutants are people like us born with special abilities. For instance, Kitty, the young lady you saw earlier, has the ability to pass through solid objects. I run a school where people like us are protected and trained in the safe and proper use of their powers, as well as offering an education and room and board_.

"I have no money."

_That is not an issue. the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters is free for all, and all expenses are cared for by the school. _

Silence.

_Would it be alright if I sent Kitty in to speak with you?_

"O-okay..."

Simon watched in disbelief as one of the kids, the girl, passed through the door and into the church. He stood up, trembling slightly.

"You have powers like mine." His voice was tinged with awe.

"Yes. I guess so." She smiled. She examined the boy. He was wearing common clothing for a farm boy, though it was a bit ragged and dirty. He was a teenager and pretty cute, but the latter was unimportant at the moment, "Unfortunately, my friends cannot walk through walls. Would it be alright if I opened the door?"

"Let's talk first..."

"What would you like to know?"

"How did you find me?"

"We have a machine called Cerebro that can, like, find mutants all over the world."

"The blue-furred boy, he is a mutant?"

"Kurt." She giggled, "He certainly is, in fact, he used to live in an abandoned church too."

"The villagers hate me, they say I have demonic powers, that I am a witch."

"There's nothing demonic or magical about it, except Wanda, she has magic powers... But our powers come from genetics, not magic. And, unfortunately, a lot of people hate us because we are different."

"The other boy, with the broken arm?"

"Thomas. He has a snake for a tongue and can see in the dark." His eyes widened, "No, it's nothing like, magic or anything. He just has a snake for a tongue."

"The villagers would say it was the mark of The Devil."

"He gets that a lot, but he's really a nice guy, unless you mess with his car..."

Simon hung his head, "My own parents said that I was demon-spawn."

Kitty shook her head sadly, "That actually happens a lot. Sadly, some people just don't want to understand."

"W-where is this school?"

"Bayville, it's in New York State."

Simon's jaw dropped, "In America? You came all the way from America for me?"

"Yeah."

"I-I would speak to the others now."

...

It was an interesting discussion, Simon petting Kurt's fur and nearly fainting when he saw 'Junior'. It's one thing to hear that someone has a snake for a tongue, but to actually see it... Still, Thomas was very friendly and easy to get along with.

They all were.

Soon, he began to feel hope again.

...

"So, how'd it go?" Ray greeted his roommate.

"Mission accomplished. We saved him from being brainwashed by Magneto, so now he'll be brainwashed by Xavier." He shook his head, "Just another scared kid looking for something or someone to believe in."

"Sounds familiar. Personality wise?"

"He's very shy and quiet, barely said a word as we were flying back. Not that Kitty ever lets anyone get a word in edgewise. He seems nice, just... Out of his depth. I think we both know how it feels to suddenly wake up and find out you're a mutant. His powers are kind of like Kitty's, except he merges with the objects and travels through them rather than just walking through them."

Then came the dreaded question, "What's he look like?"

"Uh... He's a little older than me, average height... Freckles and red hair..."

To his credit, Ray didn't snicker or laugh, "A red-head? The girl's are gonna' have a field day with that."

"Knowing Kitty, they already are..."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Simon Hall is better known as The Neophyte. He is a young, naive Acolyte who got into trouble for helping humans and The X-Men. The other Acolytes wanted him killed, but Colossus convinced them to banish him instead, which was lucky for him as shortly after Holocaust attacked their base and killed most of them. He was later accepted back. Why they did not give him a Swiss name is beyond me, but he is a canon character.

Tadashi is, of course, the big brother of the hero Hiro Hamada in _Big Hero 6._


	46. Chapter 46

Snakehead

46

"Dude, why's there a naked picture of Pyro on your cell phone, yo?"

Ray's eyebrow shot up and both boys looked at Thomas, who quickly snatched the phone away, "He's _not_ naked! He's wearing sweatpants! Jubilee's just playing mind games with me! And what are you doing with my phone?"

Todd laughed, "Defensive much?"

"You do know that snakes are natural predators of toads..." Tom said menacingly. His new, natural sounding voice made it easier to convey emotions, like anger.

"What kind a' predator? You sexually harassin' me, yo?"

Ray burst out laughing as Thomas turned red,

"If my arm wasn't broken..."

"Alright children,stop fighting..." Ray smirked, "Let's go meet the new kid."

"He mighta' been safer with Mags, yo."

Todd felt a little bad about ragging on Tom. Thomas was the one who was so kind to him, who worried about him being underweight, who was willing to face Berzerker in full kill mode to save his scrawny tail, stared down Mystique and Summers, and got his fool butt trampled by Wolverine to help Kyle... "Listen, even if you did like John, or Ray-"

Ray frowned at that. "Or Todd" He added.

Todd shrugged, "Or Fuzzy-Butt or even Mystique, it wouldn't really matter to me, yo. Wait, now, if you liked Mystique, that _would_ be perverted..."

All three boys shuddered at the thought.

"You're still a good friend, yo..."

Tom blushed, "Thanks. And I would never date Mystique... Unless she tricked me with her evil shape-shifting powers."

...

Simon Hall was sitting quietly amidst a group of talkative boys. He wasn't really a social person, though he would respond to the inevitable greetings from students and staff. He'd seen amazing things here, some of them terrifying, such as that giant-head-creature/doctor. He couldn't imagine what life must have been like for Sugarman before he came to this mutant haven.

_Mutant_. It was a word he'd rarely heard, he was just a farm-boy from a backwater village, when his powers manifested, he almost believed that it was the work of The Devil like everyone else. That was one of the reasons he had hidden in a church, a holy place where he could pray for forgiveness and beg God to remove his curse.

Now he was surrounded by people who understood what he was, and it had nothing to do with curses or The Devil.

It was just a random genetic accident.

He was still Simon Hall, but he had powers now other people didn't. Except maybe that Kitty girl...

"Hi, Simon,"

Simon looked up to see three boys standing across from him, one was the boy with the snake-tongue, Thomas. He didn't recognize the other two. The first was tall, blond and handsome, with odd orange bangs sticking up like rays from the sun. The other was short with vaguely greenish skin, yellow eyes and messy hair. He had an unpleasant odor around him and crouched almost like a frog.

"I wanted to introduce you to my friends," He indicated the taller boy, "This is Berzerker, Ray Carter. He's my roommate."

Berzerker extended a hand and gave him a firm handshake, "Nice to meet you. Hope you enjoy it here."

"Thanks."

"And this," He indicated the shorter boy, "Is Toad, Todd Tolensky."

"Yo, wassup?"

"Sorry, I don't speak Polish."

Thomas and Ray laughed.

"That's not Polish. That's very poor English." Thomas explained.

"Or Ebonics..." Ray added.

"What I intended to say was 'Hello, nice to meet you and how are you doing this fine day?"

Everyone looked at Todd in shock.

"Uh... A little nervous." Simon replied.

"That's only natural. I think we're all still trying to adjust. 'Normal' guy one day, mutant the next." Ray smiled, "It's hard, but you'll adapt. You have a whole school of people here to help you."

"Thank you." Simon gave a shy smile in return, "Everyone is so kind..."

"I take it you haven't met Quentin or Glob Herman yet."

"Who?"

"One's a purple-haired jerk and the other is a jerk made of transparent wax or something." Tom said vaguely, "You'll know them when you see them..."

"What are your powers?"

"I have electrokinetic abilities," Ray said, "I can create, mold and direct electrical energy." He held up a fist and let sparks dance around it.

"An' I can jump really high and have a six foot long tongue, yo." Toad stuck out his tongue. Simon was getting used to the sight of bizarre tongues. It was better than a snake, at least.

"That's... Impressive. Perhaps you can show me your jumping skills later? Outside."

Todd grinned, amazed that someone was actually interested in _his_ powers. "Sure thing, Dawg."

"Dawg?"

"Friend." Ray said, "I suppose you'll need a translator when Todd's around."

"Do you have a code name yet?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. Neophyte."

Toad shook his head, "_Neophyte_, a novice or a new believer, a recent convert... Yep, Xavier's runnin' a cult..."

Ray slapped Todd on the back of the head. Though he was beginning to wonder the same thing...

"Where'd you learn a word like 'Neophyte'?"

"It's called 'readin' yo. I'm not as stupid as people think... It is simply that my unusual form of elocution makes people underestimate my intelligence, yo."

"Okay, this is just getting creepy..."

Simon began to wonder if this was actually an asylum...

...

A few minutes later...

Kyle slid into a seat at the table with Ray, Thomas, Todd, Broo and Angelo.

"Greetings, Mr. Gibney. What brings you to our table today?" Broo asked cheerfully.

"Laura, Storm, the professor and Beast have gone to find Logan."

"And you figure he still wants to have your balls for breakfast, yo?" Everyone but Todd and Broo face-palmed.

"Of what 'balls' are you speaking?" Broo asked, honestly confused.

"It's slang for testicles, Broo." Ray said bluntly.

"That would be a most unpleasant breakfast. I doubt Mr. Logan would do such a thing."

"It would be especially unpleasant for _me_." Kyle unconsciously covered his crotch with his hands.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you." Thomas said confidently.

"Speak for ya'self, yo, I don't wanna face down no Wolverine."

"That's not the problem. I wonder... How can I make him see that I'm... -"

"Good enough for Laura?" Ray finished the sentence for him, "You could, I hate to say it, _talk_ to him. He knows you, he even likes you. You're top-of-the-line X-Man material, and I know that he's impressed with your skills on our team and your personality. You and Laura make a great team yourselves, he'd probably be happy that you love each other if not for the unfortunate... _Moment_ he walked in on... You have to get him past that, be more open and honest with him about your relationship instead of sneaking around behind his back. Impress him. He likes courage and honor, if you face him like a man and own up, he'll see you want more than a cheap thrill. You're committed-"

"Or should be committed..." Todd mumbled.

Ray glared at him.

"Ray, where did all a' this come from?" Angelo asked. "Jus' how many _chicas_ have you dated?"

"I'm very observant. And three."

"How in the world you managed to put up with that pervert Jubilee...?" Thomas shook his head in wonder.

"Que?"

"Nothing." Tom and Ray said in unison.

"Jubilee's not so bad, and I did like her, it's just I couldn't stop thinking of Scaleface. And we're... Different, she's a 'Mall-Rat' and I'm a 'Sewer-Rat'. We just don't think in the same ways..."

"Yeah, you don't spread rumors about me..."

Ray grinned, "How do you know I don't spread rumors about you?" He turned back to Kyle, "Maybe you should meet him when he comes back, kind of a gesture of peace thing."

Kyle considered this, surely, Logan wouldn't kill or emasculate him in front of Professor Xavier and the others. And it would be a nice gesture to be among the first to welcome him back...

...

"The new kid's kind of cute. There aren't many boys with red hair at the school, and I always did like freckles." Tabby smiled at Simon, who was looking off into space as the other boys chattered on. "And he's so sweet and insecure..."

"Yeah, we need to keep him away from Thomas." Kitty smirked.

"Speaking of Thomas, do you still have that picture of Pyro you sent him?" Anole smiled.

Jubilee pulled up the picture on her phone and handed it to Anole, who gave a wolf-whistle, "So he's a natural red-head... Not bad, not bad at all... Pity he's not naked. I'd like to see what's 'Down Under' those sweat pants..."

"Do you have to be so, like, crude?" Kitty asked.

Anole huffed lightly, "Hey, I'm a green, scaly, gay mutant. People are gonna' hate me no matter what. So why shouldn't I be honest?"

Tabby took the phone, "Hell yeah! That is one hot Aussie!" She grinned devilishly, "Where'd you get the picture?"

"His Facebook page. I 'friended' him." Jubilee popped a bubble of chewing gum. "I hate to admit it, but you were right Tabby, Pyro is cute."

"_Cute?_ He's sex on legs!"

"I'm gonna' look him up and 'friend' him too..." Tabby sighed.

"Me three." Anole grinned, "A shameless, crazy, smokin' hot Aussie, count me in!"

...

Miles away, at The Hellfire Academy-

St. John Allerdyce got that strange feeling that people were talking about him again. He shrugged it off, and went back to flicking his lighter on and off.

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Tolensky. Is that Russian? Polish?

Never leave anything incriminating lying around near Todd, Jubilee, Kitty or Tabitha. Or Roberto, or Bobby, or Jamie... Hell just don't leave incriminating items lying around!

Poor Angelo gets so few lines because I can't get his accent and way of speaking right. He's a great character, but I just can't do him justice.

And I'm not mocking Ebonics! Or Polish!

I know Pyro has orange hair in Evo, but I've gone to far to correct it and red is the best I can describe it...

I'm sorta sorry for the perverted Pyro-stalking discussion. Kinda...


	47. Chapter 47

Snakehead

47

"Are you alright?"

Simon looked up to see Kurt standing beside him. He was sitting in the quiet of the library, trying to process everything that had happened in the short time since he'd become a 'mutant'.

Kurt noted for the first time that Simon's eyes were totally white. No pupil. No iris. Simply white.

"I'm just a little... Overwhelmed. I've never left my village, much less my country. And now I am surrounded by people I do not know..."

"Ya, I know what it's like. I grew up in a little cabin in Germany. When people found out about me, what I looked like, I had to hide in an abandoned church. I was afraid for my family. Then The X-Men came. I was nervous and confused when I first came here, but these are good people, and they'll help you." He grinned, revealing pearly fangs, "Sure, some of them are jerks, but most of the students here are very friendly. I saw you talking to Todd. He used to be our enemy. He and I fought so many times I'm surprised he doesn't have a permanent imprint of my fist on his face. But when he and his friends were in danger, we took them in. Sure, he smells bad and is rude, but he hasn't caused any real trouble and has made many new friends."

"Awww, I didn't know you cared, Fuzzy-Butt."

Kurt cringed at the hated nickname, "Todd, this is a bad time."

Todd turned to Simon and smiled, "I just wanted to say that Blue-Boy here is right, yo."

Kurt stared at the small mutant in disbelief.

"The X-Geeks... I mean X-Men... Why're you called X-_Men_, Dawg? They're plenty a' chicks on the team... Anyway, they's good people. Except maybe Scott."

Kurt face-palmed, "TODD!"

Todd shrugged, "They've saved my butt plenty a' times, even when we was enemies, yo. That's just the kind a' people they are. They protect folks."

"Maybe... I could learn to help people?" Neophyte's white eyes conveyed a mixture of timidity and hope.

"Sure you can. With your power you can help people trapped in all sorts of situations, Like a building collapse, you can just slide in and save them."

Simon smiled, "I want to be useful, and I want to help people."

"That's what we do." Kurt smiled and gave Simon a gentle slap on the back, "We're superheroes."

"I have a question... I was wondering, why is everyone so interested in my having red hair?" Simon ran his hand through his hair.

"It's... Complicated..." Kurt tried to think of damage control.

"Dude, we _really_ need to talk to Kitty and Jubilee, yo."

...

"Well, the Halls agreed to transfer custody, a little too eagerly."

Xavier sighed. How could people reject their own children?

"What about the immigration paperwork?"

"It will take some time, government bureaucracy is a pain in the butt, but as his legal guardian, you should have no trouble keeping him the States."

"Thank you, Matthew. Have the paperwork faxed to my office."

"Already done, Charles."

The X-Jet was gliding over the Canadian Interior. They had located Logan, and Sabertooth, though they had avoided the latter. Logan was deep in the forest, in an isolated are with no space for the X-Jet to land. He didn't want company.

But you don't always get what you want.

...

Logan, as predicted, was being stubborn and bull-headed.

"Everyone wants you to come back. _Kyle_ wants you to come back. You're an important part of our school, our family."

"Charlie, I tried to kill Kyle and nearly killed Thomas. I can't trust myself anymore. The animal's too strong." He looked at Laura, "I'm sorry."

"You certainly are." She said angrily, "Running away with your tail between your legs! You were ready to kill Kyle because I ripped up some of his clothes, but you don't care enough to come back and live with me? Kyle didn't seduce me, _I_ seduced _him_. I'm the Alpha. We love each other, and he knows I'm in charge..."

"So do I." Logan smiled grimly, "Kyle's a good kid and a good fighter, but he's so submissive it's almost pathetic. I knew that. But I blamed him. Do you want that to happen again? I'd rather die out here than cause you or Kyle or any of the other kids harm."

"Don't you think you _dying_ would cause me harm?" Laura retorted. "That's the coward's way out."

He chuckled, "Trust me, darlin', dyin' ain't easy for people like us. If I'd planned on offin' myself, I'd a taken Creed with me to Hell."

"So you're just going to keep riding until you hit The Arctic Circle? You know that there's only two enemies a person can't outrun, death and themselves."

Logan sighed, he'd told that particular pearl of wisdom to Laura, an' now it was coming back to bite him.

"Still seein' Kyle?"

"Yes. And he really wants to make things right with you."

"Sounds like Kyle." Logan smiled, "I think he's good for you, I just wish you hadn't a' been runnin' around behind my back... And try not to tear his clothes off, at least, not until you're married."

"Does that mean you're coming back?" Laura asked hopefully.

Logan shrugged in defeat, "If I don't, I know you'll be chasin' me for the rest a' my life..."

...

Ray just had to grin and bear it. In hindsight, he should have suggested Roberto as the sacrifice... Er, _driver_, for Forge's promised excursion in the _'El Camino_. He was a good kid, if a tech nerd, but he had absolutely no taste in music. Right now _Nights in White Satin_ was blaring through the console, and occasionally the young inventor and Thomas, from his position in the back, would start singing along.

It wasn't all bad, he'd kind of liked '_White Rabbit_' by Jefferson Airplane, not that he'd admit it.

They were searching electronics stores for new and interesting things that Forge could use in his obsessive tinkering. They (Thomas) had bought a few things, odd unrecognizable used parts and shiny new parts and were heading for lunch. They pulled into Sonic and turned down the radio and gave their orders. Rather than eat in the car they went to one of the few small tables out front.

"Have you ever tried to see if you like any music from this century?" Ray asked.

"Yes, I like some of it, but I prefer things that remind me of home."

"I can't imagine what it's like, going from the '70's to now." Thomas shook his head, "So much has happened."

Forge sighed, "The world has changed so much. Terrorists everywhere, wars all over the place, _skinny jeans_... It's like everyone's on acid or something... Or maybe I'm on an acid trip and don't know it."

"You take LSD?!" Both boys asked in shock.

"No, I don't take that garbage, but I've heard of people being slipped it without knowing." Forge shrugged, "Some people are just sick."

"Yeah," Ray grunted, "And evil. I've played my fair share of pranks, but I'd never slip somebody a drug or try to hurt somebody..."

"It's so weird, old friends are now _old_ friends, with kids and grand kids, not to mention that I show up in my room three decades after my parents thought I was dead... I'm amazed they didn't just die when I walked out..." He sighed heavily, "And I missed the last two _Star Wars_ movie in theaters!" Forge groaned.

"Yeah, but you got to see I, II and III." Thomas pointed out.

"The only thing good about them was Ray Park as Darth Maul. Too many fancy special effects, and the second two were almost _chick flicks_!"

"I kinda liked the two-headed announcer..."

"Fode and Beed? Yeah, that was funny, too bad we didn't see them full-length, though..." Thomas responded, "I have both versions of their figure at home. I-"

Tom's eyes widened as a bright orange sports car with flaming red decals pulled up and a red-headed young man stuck his head out of the window to order.

"Ray...Isn't that..."

"Yeah, that's Pyro."

St. John Allerdyce noticed them and waved sociably, "Ray! I'd know that hair anywhere, mate!"

Thomas began looking frantically for gossiping girls with cameras. There was _no_ way this was a coincidence.

"Hi John, I didn't expect to see you here." Honestly, Ray was surprised. The cheerful young man might look innocent, but he was an Acolyte, albeit a former one, and pretty high on The Most Wanted List due to his former allegiance to Magneto and his complicity, if not participation in, the televised lethal mutation of William Stryker. He wondered if John even knew Stryker was dead...

"Min' if I pull up a seat?" He grinned.

"Sure, why not?"

Those girls had arranged this, there was no other explanation. Now he'd never hear the end of their gossip.

Ray smiled at Thomas, "Wanna' get your picture taken with John?"

Thomas punched him lightly in the upper arm.

"An' yer... Forge, right?"

The dark-skinned boy nodded and shook his hand.

"Don't think I've met you before..."

"Thomas. Thomas Salmons" There was no helping it now...

They shook hands and the Australian mutant turned his chair around and straddled it, resting his forearms on the back rim, grinning.

"Sinjin Allerdyce. I've read some of your work. Poetry, short stories and your novel, _Fire on The Water. _You're good."

John looked at Thomas in surprise, "Y've read my work?" He smiled sadly "My publishers didn' agree with you." The grin widened, "Been a long time since anyone called m' by m' birth name. It's a bit... _Pretentious_, don' ya think?"

"It's not an uncommon name, outside of America."

"Don' meet people much since joinin' up with ol' Bucket-Head. Anyway, I prefer John, or Johnny, or Pyro... Some people call me Fire-Bug, and a' unusual 'mount of folks call me 'Crazy'."

"I wonder why..."

"You never told me about that." Ray was genuinely surprised. "You read poetry?"

"You never told me that you knew Mr. Allerdyce." Tom pointed out.

Ray shrugged, "We captured him once. He talked our heads off until Mystique got him out." He smirked, "Whatever you think about Mystique, she saved us from John's countless stories of 'Fires I Have Known'."

"I surrendered. I might be crazy, but I know better than to fight with Wolverine's little Sheila..." He laughed, a bit unnervingly, "She's bloody terrifying. An' without fire, beautiful, beautiful fire, they'd be no life, mate."

All the boys at the table nodded in agreement (about Laura, at least) as John's food arrived, unsurprisingly, it was all spicy.

"What brings you here? Aren't you worried about getting caught?"

"I'm 'ungry. Besides, nowhere's safe, mate. I can't live life in a hole in the ground..."

"What's The Hellfire Academy like?"

John shrugged, "Probably a lot like y'r school. Emma's a good woman, but some a' the teachers are bonkers."

"At least you don't have Cyclops or Wolverine breathing down your necks."

Later...

"So, my picture's been makin' the rounds at the school? " Pyro looked at Tom's cell phone, completely unashamed, "No wonder I been' gettin' so many new friends on Facebook... It is a good pic, if I do say so m'self. Handsome bloke, ain't I?" John chuckled, "Notice ya' didn' delete my picture." He grinned, "Can' 'ardly blame ya'..."

Ray and Forge laughed hysterically as Tom blushed.

"Don't you realize how many perverts are out there? They're probably posting this on all sorts of dirty websites!"

"Not like I'm _starkers_ or anythin'..." John shrugged. "Jus' shirtless. Not much to perv over." He handed the phone back, and his eyes fell a bit. "'Ow's Dr. McCoy? 'E saved my sorry bum from that vampire-bloke..."

"He's alright." Ray smiled "Back to being a bouncing blue ball of genius and a pain in the butt in Biology class."

"I thought you hated Physics." Tom remarked.

"I can hate more than one thing, you know."

"'Is that sweet _El Camino_ yer's, Ray." John poked a finger toward said vehicle.

"No, it's Tom's. He's not old enough to drive, so he lets me drive it."

"Y' should get some flame decals, maybe paint it red... Flame it up a bit." Pyro observed, "Still, she's a beaut... 'Ow's she run?"

"Like she just rolled out of the factory. I'm very protective of my car. Duncan and his friends learned that the hard way..."

"'O's Duncan?"

"Just a sleazebag mutant hater. Nobody worth talking about."

"Have you considered posting some of your work online, Mr. Allerdyce?" Tom asked thoughtfully, "That would get you more exposure to the public. People might not go out looking for books of poetry, but if they can see it online it might peak their interest."

John scratched his chin, "Like post some a m' work on Facebook with m' other posts? That's not a bad idea, mate! O' course, bein' a wanted mutant terrorist might not be the best thing for m' writing career... But 'ell, it's worth a shot, eh? An' Mr. Allerdyce is m' dad, call m' John. "

...

To be continued...

Notes:

In his first appearances, Neophyte's eyes were totally white. In later appearances, they are green.

Forgive my horrible attempt at an Australian accent. Accents are not my strong suit. And no, he's not flirting with Tom.

Starkers - Naked.

I like _Nights in White Satin_ by The Moody Blues, but Ray would probably disagree.


	48. Chapter 48

Snakehead

48

Ray pulled up to Forge's house, trying to drown out the radio and the two passengers singing along with 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'. Seriously, they needed a musical intervention. Forge grabbed his stuff and stepped out of the car, "Thanks for the ride! And the stuff!" He grinned, "It was far-out!"

Thomas got out of the back seat and into the front, "Pleasure spending time with you, Forge." He shook the boy's hand.

"You two aren't going to kiss, are you?" Ray smirked, "I thought you were saving yourself for _Sinjin_?" He turned the radio down, "See ya Forge."

"Bye, Ray."

As soon as Forge was gone Ray immediately switched the channel to a hard rock station.

"Did you really hate it that much?"

"Let's just say I was close to murdering the sound system."

...

As Logan exited the X-Jet one of the first faces he saw was that of Kyle Gibney. He was clearly nervous, his clawed hands crawling anxiously. Logan simply smiled, he knew the kid had the guts to man up and face him. His eyes fell submissively as Logan walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "S'okay kid. Just be good to her, and keep yer pants on, if she'll let you..."

Kyle blushed as Laura rushed to his side and playfully nipped a pointed ear, "Thank you, Mr. Logan... I'm sorry I wasn't open with you. I didn't think you'd approve..."

"Why wouldn't I approve? You lover her. Yer probably the best kid here for Laura. Yer strong, loyal, tough enough to survive her idea of romance... A healing factor is needed when dealin' with Laura, believe me, I know."

Kyle smiled a bit at that praise. "Thank you, sir."

"Yer a lot better than you think, Kyle, " Logan said gruffly, "Ya' jus' need a bit more self-confidence..."

Laura wrapped a possessive arm around the blond boy, "But not TOO much. I'm still Alpha."

"When I'm here," Logan playfully bared his teeth, "I'M the Alpha."

...

Ray was rockin' out to Powerman 5000 on his iPOD as Tom looked over the results of his DNA test.

Aaron Salomon was actually a close relative. The presence of two ophidian mutations in one family seemed suspicious to him. He had read of an ancient race of Serpent People who once ruled the earth until they were, apparently, wiped out by humanity. There was some irony in that, as humanity felt itself on the verge of being replaced with mutants.

No one stays on top forever.

Aaron Salomon looked almost identical to descriptions and images of the Serpent People. The Serpent Men were said to be the creation of Set himself, and they had worshiped The Elder Demon.

Perhaps his family had Setian blood after all... Not a pleasant thought.

Slither was currently in a maximum security mutant containment facility, he was a member of a criminal enterprise known as The Serpent Society and a former member of Hydra, a terrorist organization. He was also another believer in mutant superiority. No wonder his family had never mentioned the connection.

There was a sudden loud knock on the door,

"Who is it?"

"The friggin' Tooth Fairy."

Both boys shot up at the sound of Wolverine's gruff voice.

Ray opened the door quickly, "Mr. Logan! You came back!" He was genuinely happy, Storm had been running G-Team ragged. She was a real slave-driver...

"Good ta' see you again, too, Ray. But I need to talk to Thomas. Alone."

_Oh Crap!_

Ray took a look at his friend before walking out.

"Mr. Logan." Tom said calmly.

"Has anyone ever told ya' that you're friggin' MENTAL! Jumping in front of me like that! Didn't ya' see my claws were out! I could have _skewered_ you!"

"I..."

"I know Kyle seems small and submissive, but you've seen 'im fight. I trained him to fight, and several times _he_ nearly took _me_ down! If I'd a caught him, he'd a' put up more than enough of a fight for the others ta' come and break it up! And he has a _healing factor_!" He calmed slightly, "It's nice that ya' were worried about the kid, that you wanted to help him, but he can take care of himself. He's smaller than me and faster than me an' he's up with Laura and me in the fightin' scale."

Thomas didn't know what to say.

"If I had gutted you with my claws... I'd never have been able to live with myself. Jus' breakin' yer arm an' some ribs scared me to death. I got enough bodies on my conscience, I don't want to add your's to the list..."

Thomas nodded. It was true, Kyle could have held his own against Logan until help had arrived, and Logan had enough pain to deal with already.

"I'm sorry it affected you so badly, Mr. Logan. I didn't mean for anyone else to get hurt."

"I know kid. But ya' have ta' be more careful. There's a difference between courage an' stupidity..." he arched a bushy brow, _"Or suicidal tendencies.._."

"I'm not suicidal."

"Jumpin' in front a' me in the middle of a berserker rage? If that ain't suicidal, I don' know what is..." The feral mutant took a light sniff of the air, "Why do I smell Pyro on you and Ray?"

"Me, Ray and Forge ate lunch with Sinjin at Sonic."

He shook his head, "_Sinjin?_ You're on a first-name basis? I don't even want to know..."

"He's not a bad guy, he just needs help with his... _Issues_."

"You should worry about yer own _issues_, kid."

"He's not an Acolyte anymore. He's not even an enemy anymore."

"I didn' say ta' shun 'im, but you know that just about every anti-mutant group out there has Pyro on it's top ten hit list because he was with Bucket-Head when Stryker was... _Mutated_, even if he didn't put the needle in himself. He should be layin' low, not eatin' out. He's not that bad a guy, but he has a Hell of a lot a' enemies who are... An' anyone with him'd be a instant target."

"We're all targets, not matter what we do... This world doesn't like us."

"Well this world can kiss my Canadian a - Butt."

"I've heard the word before, you know."

"Charlie don't want me cursin' or smokin' aroun' the kids."

"Seeing as how my mother died of lung cancer due to smoking, I find that a very wise decision on his part..."

There was an awkward silence.

"I see you finally got yer Fauxhawk."

"Jubilee styled it."

"Has Ray shown you pictures from when he first came here? That gigantic mohawk."

Thomas smiled, "Yeah, it was pretty cool."

Logan snorted, but didn't reply.

"What happened to your voice?" He finally asked.

"Forge fixed my vocal projector. Now I sound more... _Natural_..."

"Yeah, you sound a lot better now." He shrugged, "I gotta go see how much Ouroro has screwed up my DR programs... Don't tell her I said that."

"My lips are sealed." Thomas smirked.

Logan grunted and left the room.

After a moment Ray stuck his head into the room, prepared for the worst.

"Thomas, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Thomas was sitting on his bed, "We just talked. No claws were involved."

"Well, I saw Kyle and Laura walking around downstairs, and he seemed to have all his pieces in place, so I guess he's going to be all right, too."

Thomas smiled. "Looks like all's well in The X-Mansion tonight."

A few seconds later came a loud scream, Bobby's, from the sound of it, and the thud of a body breaking through drywall.

"An' never, EVER say that to me again!" Wanda shouted from somewhere nearby.

"That's one scary chick..." Ray whispered.

"Why exactly is Todd chasing her again?" Thomas asked in a hushed tone.

"'Cause he's freaking nuts."

...

A few hours later...

Ray opened the door to find Sugarman holding a large box.

"Ray, Thomas. I finally succeeded in making the materials you requested.

Both boys eyed the box, smiling.

ray grinned widely, "Thank you. I really mean that."

Sugarman smiled, "I love a challenge. I hope he likes it."

As the scientist left, both boys looked at the contents of the box. Inside were a few smooth, black uniforms meant for a tall man, black gloves, black shoes, even a black beanie. Both touched the fabric, it felt almost like silk, but they knew it was much stronger.

"I hope this works." Thomas sighed, "I don't want to get his hopes up."

"If anyone can make an outfit that won't stick to his skin, it'd be Sugarman. He's a freaking super-genius." Ray replied, "Next shipment to The Tunnels is Saturday, we can bring it along."

"It would have been easier just to get a power suppressor thing for him. Then he'd be totally free of that tar-stuff."

"I doubt Callisto would approve of a device that dampens mutant's powers, even if it would help Tar Baby." Ray shrugged, "_Mutant Pride_ and all. Besides, I don't know if those things work on physical mutations."

"Well, that's _his_ decision to make, not her's. I'll ask Hank about it, if he thinks it will work, I'll bring it up when we see Tar Baby again..."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Simon/Neophyte will appear again

I haven't forgotten Richard and Tommy's wedding.

Kyle has kicked Wolverine's butt at least once in the comics, which Wolverine found rather humiliating. ('I can't believe I got my a** handed to me by Wild Child!) And they've had several draws.

No, Bobby is not dead.

I now have names for two of my pairings:

Xyle- Laura Kinney/X-23 X Kyle Gibney (Wild Child)

Rascal - Ray Carter/Crisp (Berzerker) X Scaleface. (Technically they are the canon couple in the comic books,and probably the closest to being to being legally married as The Morlocks get.)


	49. Chapter 49

Snakehead

49

Tar Baby touched the cloth with an expression of almost awe across his face. His dermal secretions simply slid across the fabric. He was so used to everything sticking to his body that the idea of something resistant to his mutation was little more than an idle dream. But they'd pulled it off.

"Thank you..." He said softly.

"It was Sugarman's work, we'll thank him for you." Ray smiled, "Here, Tom and I will be right back." He pulled the curtain of Tar Baby's small niche carved into the tunnel walls, to give the man some privacy.

Within a matter of minutes Tar Baby emerged, wearing his new protective garments. They were black, form fitting, almost like those used by The X-Men, but without insignia. He wrapped his arms around Thomas, then Ray, almost crushing them in his strong hug despite his slim build. Tears were flowing from his eyes. It was the first time he had embraced anyone in over a decade.

"I can never repay you for this... Any of you." His voice was strained with emotion.

"It's a gift. We're friends, practically family. It's what people do for each other." Ray grinned widely, "Now you should find Ape and Torpid and give them hugs, too."

Tar Baby smiled broadly, revealing surprisingly clean, white teeth, "I'll hug everyone! Except Masque..."

"Yeah, Masque ain't exactly the huggable type."

"Masque?" Thomas asked, "Isn't he the guy who can twist people's flesh like clay?"

"That's him... Or her. Nobody really knows... And I don't want to look..." Ray shuddered dramatically.

"Isn't Masque a Tunneler?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. But he wouldn't dare touch someone under Callisto's protection." Ray smiled knowingly, "Going to talk to Bliss?" Tom seemed a bit interested in the young woman.

"Maybe..."

"You should see Healer first, he may be able to heal your arm and ribs." Ray smiled, "Oh, and I wouldn't recommend hugging Callisto, either. She's not so big on that sort of stuff."

"She doesn't look like the touchy-feely type..."

Ray paused a moment, "Cybelle."

Tar Baby frowned, "I didn't think of her, either..."

Thomas shook his head, "Cybelle? The girl that secretes acid?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe Dr. Sugarman can design something for her as well..." Ray couldn't believe he hadn't considered a safe uniform for her, she was a member of his former tribe, a Tunneler, and a friend, "It's harder to get a sample of an acid than of a bit of tar..."

...

Later,

Ray and Scaleface sat in the small niche that had once served as his home.

They were holding hands.

It was odd to him. This place had been his home for a significant portion of his young life, these people had taken him in when his parents rejected him. This was the girl he loved, yet he'd left her to join The X-Men. The tiny niche brought back so many memories and a few regrets. But he had chosen his path, he was an adult now, and he had to put the past behind him. Only the future mattered, now.

And right now, the future was about romantic dinner dates.

"I was thinking maybe we could go out and get some seafood. _Legally_, this time. My treat."

"I don't know, there's something exciting about eating a meal after losing the cops." Scaleface laughed. "But I'd hate for someone to break your hands..."

Ray grinned, "Yeah, I'm kind of attached to them. They come in very handy."

Scaleface rolled her eyes, but smiled, "Ha-ha."

"What do ya' say?" Ray's green eyes widened and he gave a not-so-subtle pout.

"The old puppy dog eyes trick?" She stroked his cheek and pressed a finger against his lips, "You know how to drive a girl wild, don't you?"

"So I've been told..."

"You little tramp! Just how many girls have you dated?" She growled playfully.

"Counting you, three. But you were always the one in my heart, in my dreams..."

"Ewww... I know what _boys_ dream about!"

Ray slapped his forehead, "That's not what I meant and you know it." He grinned, "And girls dream just as dirty things as boys..."

Scaleface laughed and kissed him on the cheek, "I know. I just love teasing you. And I'd be happy to go eat seafood with you..."

"That's good, I'd hate to have borrowed Thomas' car for nothing." Ray smiled, "I need to get a car of my own."

In fact, he was already saving his allowance from Xavier, he had been since he first arrived at The Institute. He knew that Thomas would probably just give him a car, in fact, he'd already offered, but he was no charity case. This was something he wanted, _needed_ to accomplish himself.

"I didn't know X-Men got paid, I never thought about it."

"We get free room and board, and a small allowance. Some of the kids, like Thomas and Jubilee, have rich parents..." He paused, "Well, Tom's mother is dead, so he's only got one parent... Anyway, they basically get whatever their family gives them. Some of the students have jobs, but most of us are too well known as mutants. There are people who will hire mutants, but not many..."

"I'm dating a _celebrity_." Scaleface laughed lightly, "You've been on TV at least three times."

He gave a little laugh of his own, "Blowing up cop cars doesn't look good on a job application..."

"When's the date?"

Ray face-palmed, "I forgot! It's tomorrow night. Around 7. I would have made it for tonight, but I know girls love to get all dressed up and-"

"Ray, how long do you spend on your hair each morning?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"And you talk about girls...?"

They both started laughing, the joyful sound echoing through The Alley.

...

Thomas watched as Healer ran his hands over his broken arm. He could feel a tingling as a bright blue light bathed the injured appendage, and soon his arm felt as good as new.

"Thank you."

"Thank you, for helping us. Tar Baby is finally able to actually put his arms around another person, you've made him incredibly happy." Healer moved to his injured ribs as Thomas slowly slid his arm from it's sling, "And you and your brother have been a great help to us. It's easy to forget, hiding down here from all the hate, that there are still good people in the topside."

"The idea for the suit was as much Ray's as my own, and Doctor Sugarman was the one who actually designed it." He looked at the elderly, white bearded man in the blue robes and matching skullcap, "You could pass for 'human', you know, up above."

"I know. But The Morlocks need me, I'm the Healer, after all. Besides, there is so much bigotry and hatred, that even an old man like me who can heal the sick and injured is likely to be persecuted, or killed. I could not practice my healing openly, and thus I could do little good for the suffering above." He smiled, "No, this is where I belong, and where I will stay..."

"Callisto is lucky to have you. The whole tribe is lucky to have you."

"Thank you, but I am only one man. I'm not as young as I once was, and my powers are taxing. That's why we need the medical supplies Xavier and other friends send us, because I can only do so much."

"None of us can do everything, my friend." Thomas replied, "We can but do what we are able, and pray it's enough."

"Well said, Snakehead."

"Uhm..." Thomas fidgeted slightly, "Have you seen Bliss around?"

"Bliss?" The old man smiled, "Of course. She's usually in the outer tunnels."

Thomas nodded thoughtfully, "Thank you again, Healer."

...

Later,

Bliss was looking for sound spots to begin excavations on new tunnels and living spaces. That was her job among The Tunnelers. She was not a strong digger like Scaleface or Mole, nor did she have acidic skin like Cybelle, but she had an eye for structural integrity that rivaled any professional excavator or architect.

She also had very good hearing.

"You're back, Snakehead?"

"For the moment." He shrugged, "You're a hard woman to find..."

"Oh," She smiled, "Are you pursuing me?"

Thomas blushed. "I just thought... We could... Well... Talk..."

She chuckled lightly, he was too much. "Speaking of talking, your voice has changed. It sounds much better now. How did you do it?"

"I didn't. Forge repaired it for me."

"The hippy boy?"

"Yeah. He's a super-genius with anything mechanical."

"So I've been told." She smiled again, "Did you ever finish that book on Hieroglyphics?"

"Yes. It's a bit difficult, but not impossible. I've already found some ancient texts that refer to... _Him_. If he's anything like he was back then now, thank God they stopped him. He's a regular Hitler, but with super powers. He may be the most dangerous mutant on earth..."

Bliss cocked a slender brow, "How old are you, Tom?"

"I'm 15."

"I'm 18." Bliss replied.

"Uh-oh..."

"Yes, that certainly would be a complication..."

"Only if we do something illegal." She smirked, "And I like your hair."

"Thanks. It's a fauxhawk."

"Well, it looks nice." She paused, "Friends then?"

Tom smiled, "Yeah, friends."

...

Callisto was torn between concern and fondness. First Tommy had run off with that rich young human, Scaleface and Berzerker were dating once again, and the younger brother of them man who'd swept Tommy off her feet was trying to become closer to Bliss. They were all good men/boys, but they were all surface dwellers. Aside from Ray's previous relationship with Scaleface, what was leading them to seek out _Morlock_ women?

True, all three males had helped The Morlocks greatly, and all seemed to have good hearts and intentions, but where would it end? She didn't mind Morlocks entering relationships, but if a Morlock loved an outsider, she'd rather the outsider moved in with the tribes rather than take their love to the hateful, unforgiving surface world. It was far too dangerous up there. They needed to remain hidden to survive.

It was a troubling thought.

...

To be continued...

Ray has been on TV at least 3 times in my story:

1\. When the school was blown up and he destroyed the police cruisers so the other kids could get away.

2\. The battle with Apocalypse and his Horsemen.

3\. The battle with The Reavers and The Hellfire Club at Senator Kelly's rally.

Evan (Spyke) can't make up his mind, sometimes he's an X-Man, sometimes he's a Morlock.


	50. Chapter 50

Snakehead

50

Ray, Todd and Thomas sat in front of the television, watching _The X-Files_.

"Hey, that guy sounds familiar," Ray pointed at the screen, "I've heard him somewhere before..."

Toad leaned forward on his toes, "That's Tony Sampson, yo. He's a voice actor. Been in a lot a' stuff, like _Ed, Edd and Eddy_."

Todd had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of television and movies, and was rarely mistaken about such things.

"_Tony Sampson_?" Ray scratched his chin, "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Vegetarian cults, cows and some pervert kidnapping teenagers, stripping them to their underwear and leaving them wandering around with the words 'He is one' on their backs... That's kind of creepy, and not in a good way." Thomas shrugged.

"I always knew them veggie-eaters were up to no good..." Todd chuckled.

When the show ended Todd turned to go to his room, which he shared with Lance, and, by extension, Kitty. "See ya' later, yo!"

After the door shut the important discussions began.

"So, it's a date?"

Ray nodded, "She said she'd go with me." He looked at Tom, "How about Bliss?"

"Maybe, we haven't had much time to plan anything and neither of us have a license, mine's a learner's permit and her's is expired. I'm NOT asking Scott to drive us, he'd probably dump me off in the woods or something."

"I'm sure we could double-date sometime."

Thomas sighed, "Wouldn't that be awkward?"

"It's not like were going to be making out or anything," Ray dramatically raised a blond brow, "At least, me and Scaleface aren't."

"I'm 15, she's 18. I doubt people would approve. I was just thinking standard 'dinner and a movie'" He paused, considering his mutation,"Maybe we should just get something to go, I can't eat in public, and I doubt Bliss can either..."

...

Sunday Night

Scaleface had expected a fast food place, or perhaps Red Lobster. She'd been mistaken. Ray had pulled into a ritzy, bay-side restaurant, he'd even had a reservation. No wonder he'd asked her to wear that uncomfortable dress while he wore a suit and tie. There was a dress code.

It was crazy to spend this much on her.

Sweet, but crazy.

So here they were, were both eating fresh shrimp and lobster while looking out over the moonlit bay. It was incredibly romantic, unless you were a vegan...

They were both a bit confused as to which was the lobster fork...

"Shrimp and lobster. This is incredible." Scaleface whispered.

"I wanted it to be special."

Ray turned to Scaleface as she laughed, "What is it?"

"I was just thinking of all those fairy tales where the dragon demands a beautiful virgin as a sacrifice."

Ray blushed lightly, "Does that make me a damsel in distress?"

Scaleface grinned, "Why, are you in distress?"

"No," He grinned right back, "I just hope that no knight in shining armor decides to 'save' me." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I prefer the dragon..."

"Hopefully you don't mean _'How to Train your Pet Dragon'_."

Ray laughed softly, trying not to bring attention to them. "Better than '_DragonSlayer_'."

"True." She reached out and affectionately ran her fingers through his styled orange bangs, "I'd rather have a sweet prince than a donkey any day."

Ray smirked, 'Donkey? From _Shrek_?" He chuckled, "I don't know, I've been called a _Jack-ass_ before..."

"Naw, you're just a sweet puppy... Or a prize stud..."

Ray blushed as red as the lobster on his plate. He began poking at his food.

Scaleface frowned a little, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, Ray." She thought back, she'd called him a damsel in distress, a puppy and a prize stud thus far tonight. Last time she'd seen him she'd called him a tramp. Perhaps her gentle teasing was not as gentle as she thought.

"It's alright." He smiled, "It's a compliment, right?"

"Yes... Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad? I've been calling you a _dragon_ all night."

"That's because _I am_ a dragon."

Ray looked at her with an expression of mock offence, "Are you saying I'm _not_ a stud?"

"No." She giggled, "But you are certainly no damsel in distress."

Her eyes turned grave.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For holding you prisoner when you came down into The Tunnels looking for Spyke... You were beg -" She stopped herself, Berzerker _never _begged, "_Asking_ me to let you go, and I wouldn't..."

He smiled, "That was what, two years ago? And it's not like I could have gone anywhere, after Torpid froze me up. And you did let me go, eventually."

"While spitting fire at you."

He laughed, "What can I say, you're a spitfire."

"I'm serious Ray. I could have done _something_."

"You did, you didn't kill me." He sighed, "What would you have done? What could you have done? Told Callisto to piss off and carried me out? Then you'd have been in deeper guano than I ever was. I've said and done things I wish I could undo, but I can't." He gently took her hand in his own, "The past is dead, Michelle, only the future matters. Sure, you scared me a bit, I thought you were really going to roast my butt for a minute there, but you didn't. If I had a grudge or anything against you, you'd know it, and we sure wouldn't be dating. You did what you thought was best for the tribe. Don't beat yourself up about it." He pulled her hand close and kissed it. "We love each other, the rest doesn't matter."

...

Back at the school, Thomas couldn't sleep.

Ray was out for the evening with Scaleface, and he assumed everyone else was asleep.

As he couldn't sleep, he got dressed and went down to the first floor of the mansion. He wasn't fool enough to go out onto the grounds, as the stupid laser system the Professor had installed to protect them couldn't distinguish between attackers and students. Because of this, Ray wouldn't be able to come back until morning, he'd probably end up staying in The Tunnels or the _El Camino_... But what if they needed to evacuate the mansion during the night? Would the responsible adults think to switch off the guns?

Not for the first time, he considered the very real possibility that someone was going to get killed by all of these crazy things one day. The Danger Room, The Security System, Wolverine on patrol... All it would take is one slip up.

He wandered into the library and saw Pietro sitting by the window, staring up at the sky.

The speedster turned, "I thought I was the only one up."

"So did I."

"I never did get that Toad slime off my shoes."

Thomas grinned, "We had to stop you somehow."

Pietro snorted disdainfully, then turned back to the window.

"_He's_ probably still up there, you know." His words were little more than a whisper.

Thomas didn't need to ask who 'he' was. "Probably."

Thomas' father had been distant for a long time, but they'd reconciled, it seemed no reconciliation was possible between Magneto and his children.

"Aren't you going to say all the warm hearted crap about us being a family?" Pietro still didn't turn his eyes from the heavens.

"Actually, I was just thinking how dangerous this place can be. Eventually some kid's gonna' get fried by that defensive system out there, and if we ever have to evacuate at night, it'll be a massacre..."

Pietro smiled thinly, "I wonder why we never thought of that... Call in a bomb threat in the middle of the night and watch all the X-Geeks get fried by their own security system."

"Because you're not murderers. You never were. I especially doubt you guys would deliberately kill a bunch of kids, even if most of them are annoying little picks." He sighed, "I know you probably don't like most of us _X-Geeks_, but you still have your sister and your friends."

"What do _you_ think of him?"

That was a question, wasn't it?

"I don't know. I've never met him, and I've only seen him in person once. After what he did to you and Wanda..."

Pietro's head whipped around.

Wrong topic?

He continued undaunted, "Like N'Kantu told Wanda, you deserve better, both of you."

"People rarely get what they deserve." Pietro replied bitterly

Pietro turned back to the window.

"Look, I can't understand what happened. I can't say 'I know how you feel' or anything like that because I don't. You can love your father, even if he's a terrorist. Hell, most of the kids here were rejected by their families, but almost all of them want to go back, want to be with their families again."

"Their families are not trying to conquer the world."

"Kubark's father rules an expansionist empire that is constantly conquering new worlds and forcing people to live by their standards. And Broo..."

Pietro laughed, but there was no humor in it, "I get it. I'm not the only one with a power hungry parent." He paused, "I really feel sorry for Blue-Boy, his mother's a sadistic shape-shifting bitch and his father's a demon lord."

Thomas gaped a bit at that, "A demon lord?"

"You didn't know? _Crap_..." Pietro frowned, "Kurt's father is a powerful demon named Azazel. He tricked Mystique into having his kid, and neither of them bothered with him after she threw him in the river..."

_My God... What has Kurt been through?_

"Azazel. I've heard of him. In some of my great-grandfather's books... You do _not_ want to meet him, _ever_."

"I know, Wanda told me all about him... Was your great-grandfather a wizard?"

"Probably more of a warlock. He was the kind of mage that Dr. Strange would fight, and he was into 'Black Magic'. It killed him in the end, he and some others tried to enslave Varnae, he tore them to pieces."

Pietro arched a slender brow, "Varnae, Lord of The Vampires?"

"The same."

"Why?"

"Power. They wanted power and immortality as vampires. Idiots."

"Speaking of vampires, Jamie said Hellcow was seen about 50 miles from here."

"I hope she isn't in town tonight, Ray's out on a date, and the security system won't let him in until dawn..."

"Like a vampire cow could take down Berzerker or Scaleface. She'd be fried beef patties in minutes. I'd be more worried about Jamie, he'll probably want to go look for her."

"Still, I should probably call and tell them."

"I doubt they'd appreciate the interruption. She usually goes after lone victims anyway."

"I hope you're right." He pulled out his cell and began searching for the latest news on Bessie...

...

Ray and Scaleface walked down the empty beach, the glittering sands and tranquil waters lit only by moonlight and the occasional streetlight. They weren't exactly dressed for a beach outing, and both had taken off their shoes. Little crabs scuttled about the sands, hiding whenever the pair got close.

"One day I'd like to bring you here during the day, so that you can really appreciate it. And in proper clothes, too."

She decided to tease him a bit, "Who needs clothes to swim?"

He stopped short, she couldn't see his face that well, but she was sure he was as red as a tomato.

"Have you ever seen _Jaws_? Besides, I don't want some hungry fish to bite off my..." Scaleface giggled, "Hey, it happens! On _River Monsters_ Jeremy Wade has run across several fish with a taste for guys', er, manhood..."

"Those are freshwater fish. You just don't want anyone to see you naked."

"Darn right! I don't like being looked at me like a piece of meat. And I'd hate to get hauled in naked to the police department-"

She kissed him again. "Yeah, I doubt the police are too fond of you, after you blew up two police cars and made them look like fools."

"They made themselves look like fools for trying to arrest a bunch of innocent kids whose school had just exploded." He smirked, "And they really don't like me at the BPD." He looked into Scaleface's eyes, "I wonder, why are you so eager to get me naked."

Scaleface laughed, "I admire fine art." She ran a hand over his abs and chest, "And you are a fine piece of art."

"Nothing like the masterpiece in front of me right now." He pulled her close, "And in this gallery, you're allowed to touch the exhibits." Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

"Performance art... I like it."

...

To be continued...

...

Notes:

Tony Sampson is Ray Crisp/Berzerker's voice actor in _X-Men : Evolution_. He was on _The X-Files_ episode 'The Red Museum' as a character named Brad. That episode is the one they are watching, of course. He's done a lot of other work too. Another shout out to an actor who played one of the characters in The X-Men franchise.

And yes, several such fish have appeared on _River Monsters._

In this AU Ray actually can swim, he just tends to avoid it. He does sometimes use the pool at the mansion, and he's very, very careful to control his powers while in the water.

No, nothing happened on the beach.

_BPD - Bayville Police Department_


	51. Chapter 51

Snakehead

51

Ray Crisp lay back in his old niche in The Tunnels, exhausted. His ragged blankets had been given to other Morlocks when he left the tribe, but fortunately it was not cold this time of year.

Ray pulled out his cell phone as he heard a familiar ping.

"Who would be texting me at this time of night?" It was 3 AM, far past curfew at Xavier's.

It was Thomas, of course.

It was a warning that Hellcow had been spotted in the area.

_Maybe she wants us to eat more chicken? _He snorted, _I'm in The Tunnels, there are no vampire cows here. Now go to bed, you have DR tomorrow, remember._

He could practically hear Thomas frowning. It was kind of funny, in a way.

His friend was worried about him being attacked by a vampire cow when there were sentinels and violent anti-mutant fanatics running around. Not to mention rapists, pedos, gang-bangers and just plain thugs...

Still, it was a nice thought.

He wasn't really used to having people care about his welfare, not at home, not on the streets, even some of The Morlocks hated him for looking too 'pretty' in their opinion. Not all of them, of course, but after everything that had happened some of The Morlocks did not consider him a welcome guest...

And, of course, there was Callisto. She was convinced that Ray was trying to lure Scaleface away to the Upworld, with its hate and fear and bigotry. Not to mention Scaleface leaving The Morlocks would cost the tribe as a whole a powerful asset. She was a strong worker and invaluable for her ability to help carve out new tunnels and defend the tribe. But Ray had no intention of pressuring her to leave. He would like that he and Scaleface could live in the same world, but he respected her wishes and she respected his. It hurt, but it was better than not seeing her at all.

He wasn't a Morlock anymore, Callisto had made that clear when he left. The first time he'd returned, they'd attacked him, and, as a final blow, had Scaleface guard him. Eventually they had come to respect him again, but now he was here as a guest, a friend, but not a tribesman. He had a new tribe now.

The X-Men.

He texted Thomas back. One word.

_Thanks._

...

The next morning

The _El Camino_ pulled into the mansion's garage, shining like a new penny in the morning sunlight.

Ray got out of the vintage car and locked it.

"How'd it go?"

"Not a scratch on her." Ray tossed Thomas the keys.

Thomas grinned wickedly, "The car or Scaleface?"

"Either one. But _I_ may have a few cuts and bruises..." Ray laughed "Did you think Hellcow was going to attack your car?"

"You never know. Mad vampire cow..."

They walked into the mansion.

Ray yawned and stretched, "I'm going to take a nap."

"Lucky you. I have DR."

'C'mon, it' not that bad."

"Mr. Logan doesn't have it in for you. Scott and I..."

"To be fair, you did insult him, undermine his authority in front of the whole student body and punch him in the face. And then your brother punched him in the face." Ray pointed out.

Thomas pouted childishly, "Well he deserved it!"

"If we went around punching everyone who deserved it nobody on earth would have any teeth left." He frowned, "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Yes. I wasn't waiting up all night for _you_, if you're wondering."

"Worried about me?" He smiled. "I'm touched."

Thomas shrugged, "Hey, if you get killed, I might have to room with _Roberto_..."

"He used to be _my_ roommate," Ray replied, "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

...

Scott smirked, "It's good to see you're back in working order, Thomas."

Thomas grumbled something under his breath. Danger Room. He hated The Danger Room, and he didn't much like Scott Summers, either. He'd been able to skip it because of his broken arm and ribs, but after being healed, he was back in the virtual torture chamber.

Simon Hall, Neophyte, newest member of Team-C, looked excited, this was his first time in DR training. Tom figured his excitement would die down pretty quickly, but you never know. The sweet, shy, red-haired Swiss farm boy might be a secret masochist.

"So, wha's today's torture, yo?"

Scott glared at Todd, "As this is Simon's first session, it will be low level. The objective will be the blue button on the far wall." He pointed to said button, "That's all I'm going to say about it. Good luck Simon, Angelo, Jamie..."

"What about the rest of us?" Tabby asked.

Scott simply walked out of the room.

"You shoulda' hit him harder, yo!" Todd turned to Thomas.

"I hit him as hard as I could... But remember that nice bruise Rick gave him?"

"You HIT Mr. Summers?" Simon looked at Thomas in horror.

"Once you get to know him better, you'll want to hit him too."

"I doubt-"

The floor exploded into writhing, metallic tentacles.

"This'll come in handy if we ever fight _Cthulhu_!" Bobby laughed, dodging and freezing tentacles, "I bet Shades loves that tentacle smut..."

"Tentacle smut?" Simon asked in confusion as he evaded another.

"You really don't want to know!" Several Jamies shouted at once.

Simon jumped onto the nearest tentacle and vanished, only to appear seconds later, emerging from another tentacle on the other side of the room, and pressed the blue button.

The simulation ended instantly.

"Whoa, dude..." Bobby voiced the opinions of everyone in the room.

"I can travel through through almost any physical matter by bonding with it." Simon explained, "I can even travel as rain."

"How do you keep your consciousness intact when split into thousands of raindrops?" Jamie asked in awe.

"I don't know. I just do it."

"Not even Kitty can do that!"

Scott walked into the room, mouth open in shock.

"That did not just happen..." He rasped.

"That most certainly did happen." Tabby smirked, "How long did that take? 45 seconds?"

"Once he hit the tentacle, 15 seconds." Angelo said, rubbing his goatee in thought.

"Uh..." Scott shook his head, "DR is over." He had to tell Xavier about this.

All of the students except Simon cheered.

...

"You should have seen his face!" Bobby almost fell over, "I thought he was gonna' faint!"

Ray grinned, "I wish I could have seen it."

"They're going to see how well he can fight, next. He may be in Team-B before the week's over."

Ray shook his head. His first Danger Room experience had been anything but impressive, he'd panicked and nearly fried Roberto by mistake... Okay, maybe it wasn't just dumb luck that he just happened to hit the most annoying boy he knew at the time, but he had panicked. Alien tech? Solid holograms? It was like The Holodecks from _Star Trek_. And didn't they break down every other episode, putting the whole ship in danger?

"You remember that time the brat reprogrammed the DR to beat us half to death?"

Bobby frowned, "How could I forget? I still feel sore whenever I look at Jamie."

Ray grinned wickedly, "Remember what we did to him?"

Bobby returned the grin, "Oh yeah, that was _totally_ worth the detention. I bet he's still tasting Kitty's special lentil soup."

"It always amazes me that she was able to _burn_ the _water_..." Ray laughed, "It's like her mutant power is to ruin whatever food comes near her."

Bobby groaned, "My toe still hurts from that time I dropped one of her meatballs on it..."

"Remember what they did to the garbage disposal? I don't think Wolverine could slice through those things..."

"I think she mixed adamantium in with the ground beef."

"At least the teachers all came together and permanently banned her from the kitchen. It's bad enough to have to worry about Magneto, sentinels and crap, but to come home to find Kitty in the kitchen..." He shuddered dramatically.

...

To be continued...

Notes:

For the sake of the story, solid holograms, such as DR tentacles, count as physical objects Simon can enter. I mean, if he can become rain he can become solidified light.

Ray and Bobby force-fed Jamie Kitty's cooking.

I know, that's not how people text. But I never text, so I don't know the language.


	52. Chapter 52

Snakehead

52

"Here's one '_Attractive, athletic young men wanted for gentleman's club_ -"

"'Gentleman's club'? That's for a _strip club!_" Ray pulled the paper away from Bobby.

"Hey, give that back, I was thinking of auditioning!" He smirked, "And you're a pretty good dancer..."

"Shut it, or I'll shut _you_ down." Berzerker's voice held a tone of menace. "I dance _with_ girls, I don't _strip_ for perverts!" He paused, "I mean, I _used_ to dance with girls, but now that I'm with Scaleface again..."

Bobby pointed at the other boy and laughed, "Dude, you are so _whipped_!"

"I am _not_ whipped!"

"She's already got a collar picked out for you, I bet."

"And you are such a _boy-whore!_"

"What did you call me, _Crispy_?"

"I'll show you crispy, Ice-Boy!" Ray stood up, his hands glowing with fierce electrical power.

A loud yawn came from the doorway, "If you want to kill each other, could you take it outside." Thomas sounded bored, "The smell of charred corpses really destroys the ambiance of a room, you know."

"What makes you so sure Ray would win? I could just ice him up and he'd fry!"

"I am well aware that ice is formed from water, Bobby. Now, what is this about?"

"Ray's looking for a job and I suggested a strip club-"

Thomas' face faltered and Ray's turned red.

"Hey, _I'm_ thinking of trying out!"

"It's a _gay_ strip club, Bobby. I know for a fact that you like girls, and you wouldn't want to be given lap-dances to fat old perverts." Ray shot back.

"You're just jealous of my awesome bod..."

"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!"

Both boys turned in shock to Thomas. He paused for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to calm down

"If you need a job, Ray, my dad owns a lot of businesses around here, you too, Bobby..."

"I don't like having to rely upon you for everything..." Ray said softly. He didn't want to seem ungrateful, he just wanted to make his own way. Build an honest life for himself and Scaleface, "I mean, I'm really, _really_ grateful for all your help, but I don't want handouts. I want to stand on my own to feet, you know? That's why I can't let you buy me a car, or -"

"He offered to buy you a car!?" Bobby asked, stunned and a little jealous.

"I didn't mean a 'free ride', just a good word with a potential employer... Like a letter of recommendation."

"I don't even know what I'm good at."

"That's what employment agencies are for."

"Like we could find time to work, being an on call super-heroes 24/7." Bobby grumbled.

Thomas knew what Ray wanted. He wanted a car, his own car, so that he wouldn't have to borrow Thomas' car every time he had a date with Scaleface. That's why he was saving up his allowance, outside of the occasional date with his chosen, he rarely spent money on anything he didn't absolutely need. After all, the school provided much of his needs, and he was content with a few simple things.

"If Professor Xavier offered to help you get a job, would you refuse?"

Ray was silent for a moment, his anger dying down. "No, no I guess not. But that's his job. To help us integrate with baseline humans."

"Whatever you get, I hope it doesn't involve customer service. The first idiot to walk in the door and insult your hair would get fried..."

...

"Pleeeeeaaaaaassse!" Jamie gave his best puppy-dog face.

"Nope." Logan looked away, "Not gonna' happen."

"But somebody has to do it!"

"I'm _not_ taking you out to track down a vampire cow!"

"She's practically at our front door!" He paused thoughtfully, "I could always ask Tom and Ray..."

"Ray ain't that stupid and Thomas can't drive."

"Are you saying that Thomas is stupid?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"C'mon, we could take Laura and Kyle..."

"The last thing I need is for my daughter or her boyfriend to become a vampire." Logan sighed.

Jamie stubbornly crossed his arms. "Fine, I'll get some friends together and we'll just walk around town looking for Hellcow."

"And what will you do if you find her, smarty-pants? Say 'hi' an' get her autograph?" He snorted, "You ain't goin'!"

Jamie stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

...

Glowing red eyes glared from the shadows.

A tall, muscular young man with blond hair walked out of a building holding a bag of trash, cursing.

He'd shut the door behind him, and he was distracted.

Perfect.

"Mooo..."

Duncan Matthews swung around to find himself facing an unbelievable sight.

A cow.

A fricken' cow!

At McBurger Queen.

She was wearing a long black cape with red lining, and the store's lights made her eyes glow an eerie red.

"What the Hell?" Who would dress a cow in a cape and leave her beside a burger joint.

Maybe she was some kinda' mutant...

"Get the Hell outta here! We don't want you freaks -"

"Mooooo-hahahaha!" The cow pulled back her thick lips, revealing sharp fangs. She lept for him, unholy hunger gleaming in her eyes.

Duncan screamed and jumped into the dumpster, closing the lid.

Hellcow began bashing the side of the of the dumpster, trying to tip it over to get to get to the tasty blood sack inside.

Duncan screamed louder.

Several employees rushed out at the sound of screams, the manager holding a Colt .45, the others armed with whatever they could get their hands on.

Bessie gave them a cold glare, and her cape morphed into bat-like wings. There was surely easier prey. She took to the air, and flew away as everyone stood frozen in shock.

...

"I'd, so like pick Edward..."

Tabby rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right. Sparkly bloodsuckers don't appeal to me, I'd pick Jacob."

"I say ditch Bella and just have Edward and Jacob get together." Anole lay back on the couch, "If I had to pick one guy, I'd say _Seth_. Boo Boo Stewart is hotter than either of them."

Kitty and Tabby looked at each other and shrugged as Jubilee clapped. "How about all _three_ of them!"

"You _are_ a pervert."

"What are you guys watch-" Sam made a disgusted face, "_Twilight_!" He backed away like a vampire confronted with a crucifix. "Why can't you watch a _real_ vampire movie, like _Nosferatu_?"

"Ewww! That count Orlock guy was, like, so ugly!"

Sam had already fled the rec room.

"What's with him?"

"Hellcow is here!" Jamie shouted as he rushed into the room. He looked at the TV, "She didn't deserve either of them... Hellcow is here!" He ran back out of the room, shouting to anyone who would listen.

...

Thomas walked into the rec room, "Hey, have you seen Jamie?"

"He came in here screaming about Hellcow about fifteen minutes ago."

"Sounds like Jamie." He said flatly.

As he turned to leave, Kitty called out, "Hey, Tom. Jacob or Edward?"

"_Seth_." Tom replied and walked away as Anole began fist-pumping.

"Told ya' so..." He grinned.

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Stripping is an honest profession, and I'm not insulting strippers. It's a lot better better than dealing drugs or gang-banging or joining a terrorist organization.

Not all clients at strip clubs (gay or straight) are fat, old and ugly perverts. Some are attractive young perverts.

Boo Boo Stewart played Warpath in _X-Men: Days of Futures Past_ as well as Seth Clearwater on _Twilight_. As far as the Edward/Jacob argument goes, I don't care.

Jubilee is a pervert. and Thomas makes it too easy.


	53. Chapter 53

Snakehead

53

"Local resident Duncan Matthews was attacked last night by Hellcow at the McBurger Queen on 5th and White at approximately 8 PM local time. Matthews, a Bayville High graduate and former quarterback and MVP of the Bayville Patriots, was able to escape by hiding inside a dumpster-"

The reporter's words were cut off by raucous laughter. Even Scott was laughing, it was just too rich. The great Duncan Matthews hiding in a dumpster.

Ray and Todd, however, having both slept in dumpsters and similar conditions in the past, weren't quite as amused. Not even Duncan deserved that...

"PETA representatives say this attack is proof that animals have minds and souls and are outraged by their treatment at the hands of humans."

Cut to PETA spokesman.

"Even dead, these animals are calling out to us for help. While it is fortunate that this young man was unhurt, the fact is that this will likely happen more and more in the future if man continues to abuse his animal brethren."

"When asked for a response, Mr. Matthews said this."

Cut to Duncan Matthews.

"Those idiots are full of s****! I just clean up the place!I never axed any cows!"

"For once I have to agree with that idiot. I wouldn't go after the guy cleaning toilets to get my point across, I'd go for the guys at the slaughterhouse." Quentin yawned, "So much for sparkly romantic vampires, eh Kitty?"

Kitty glared but made no comment.

Shot of animal rights protesters holding signs saying '_Go Bessie!_', '_Stop The Slaughter!_", and '_Make Love, Not Hamburgers!_'.

Shot of hippie.

"Like, we shouldn't call her 'Hellcow', that's like, demeaning. She's like an avatar of Mother Earth, come to warn us to change our ways." It was clear the hippie was totally stoned. "She's like, callin' us man..."

Suddenly a man with an oddly goat-like face pushed in front of the camera, "_IA!_ _Shub-Niggurath_! Black Goat of The Woods With a Thousand Young!"

"Like, I was talking to the nice box here..." The hippie indicated the camera.

The report cut off.

"Okay, Jamie." Professor Xavier said solemnly, "It looks like we will have to take action after all."

"YES!"

"Curfew is now mandatory. Scott, Logan, Ororo, Kurt and Thomas, please suit up and report to my office at once."

"WHAT!? What about me?" Jamie whined.

"I'm afraid you'll have to stay here for now."

"I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm fourteen! Kurt was fighting sentinels at fourteen!"

"Fifteen" Kurt corrected.

"You could use him as bait." Bobby laughed, and Jamie kicked him in the knee, "OUCH! You little brat!" He shut up at a glare from Logan.

"Why Salmons?"

"Because he has more knowledge of vampires than any of the other students."

"Jamie knows more about Hellcow than I do. It might be good to bring him along." Thomas stated, "He's been tracking her all this time, watching her movements, maybe even getting patterns down. We need him."

Jamie grinned from ear-to-ear.

Xavier sighed, "It is a valid point... Alright. You may come."

"Um..." Ray spoke up, "Shouldn't you call in the experts? Blade or Doctor Strange or someone else who deals with these things?"

"An excellent question, Ray." Xavier said, "And I will be speaking with experts on the supernatural, but we have to act now before she kills someone else. Duncan was lucky, her next victim may not be, unless we prevent it, if only by driving her away..."

...

A few minutes later,

"It's ironic, you were warning me to watch out for Hellcow, and now you're being sent to hunt her." Berzerker observed. He was worried, of course, not that he'd let it show. "Be careful, man."

"I will." Thomas finished donning his uniform and began smoothing out the wrinkles, "I wonder what he intends to do when we find her..."

"Does the whole 'no killing' policy apply to undead?"

"No clue."

"Why's Kurt going along?"

"If I learned one lesson from _Dungeons and Dragons_, it's that it's always good to have a cleric on hand when dealing with undead. Maybe he can scare her away with his rosary or something."

Ray laughed uneasily, "Just don't get vamped."

"I have no desire to become a sparkly, effeminate leech. I'll be careful." He smiled, "Of course, I've never heard of any of Bessie's victims becoming vampires themselves..."

"You better be careful, if you die, I'll kill you."

"I can't die, they're showing _The Beginning of The End_ tonight, and I want to see the giant locusts ravage Illinois... You will Tivo it, right?"

Ray shook his head, "Of course."

"Thanks. See you later." He smiled, "Try not to get into trouble without me."

"Don't worry, if I get into trouble, I'll make sure to drag you down with me."

...

"Holy water?"

"Check."

"Crucifix?"

"Check."

"Not everyone is Catholic you know." Thomas was carrying a large book and a small wooden box, "You could use a Star of David, or an Ankh... Heck, it's faith that matters, if you have a devout communist holding a Russian flag it would probably work."

Scott ignored him. "Sword."

"Check."

"Garlic."

"Maybe you should use-"

"Stakes?"

"Check."

"Picture of The Flying Spaghetti Monster?"

"Check." Kurt faltered, "What!?"

Thomas smiled, "Now that I have your attentions, ladies and gentlemen..."

"It's just Kurt and me." Scott growled.

"Yes ma'am, it is." He snickered, "I have in my hands a tome called '_Vampyres_'. It has a lot to say on the subject, Jamie and I have already read it. In the box I have a powder that can be used to ward off vampires... Or trap them."

They thought about asking Thomas where he'd acquired such powder, but decided against it.

"Can't she just fly over the powder?"

"No, she should be bound."

"Isn't that what your grandfather thought when he summoned Varnae?"

"Great-Grandfather." He corrected, "Yes and no. Yes, he thought he could contain Varnae, no, he used a different substance, and Varnae is the most powerful vampire on earth. Bessie is only about three hundred years old, not over thirty thousand. Don't underestimate her power, but don't panic either."

"Who's panicking?"

Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I saw that!" Scott shouted.

"Did anyone think to bring a _lasso_?" Thomas asked.

"Yup. Right here, Bub." Logan entered carrying a sturdy rope tied into a lasso, "I've wrangled a few cattle in my day..."

...

The X-Jet was cruising low over Bayville, looking for any sign of Bessie.

"Why is she in the city when she could blend in at a farm or ranch?"

"Because she wants to find and destroy Dracula. She wants revenge for being turned." Jamie answered, "And Dracula isn't the type to hang around a peaceful little farm. He's still an aristocrat."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he _were_ a member of some branch of The Hellfire Club. Hes got money, power, noble ancestry and powerful associates. They might look the other way if a servant or two went missing. At least, they would have under Sebastian Shaw. With Miss. Frost in power, I doubt they'd allow it."

"Why would he stoop to drinking from a cow?"

"Desperation. All the doors and windows in the village were warded against vampires, and Bessie was outside. Pure bad luck."

"Kid, to me she's just a pile a' burgers on four legs."

"She's powerful, Mr. Logan. Don't underestimate her."

Logan laughed, "She had her udders handed to her by Howard the Duck! I ain't impressed."

"And what do we intend to do when we find this creature?" Storm's voice came from the cockpit, "She is clearly an intelligent being, we can't just kill her."

"Can't kill what's already dead." Logan grunted.

"_Undead_. She thinks, she feels, she moves and feeds. Besides a pulse, I'd call that alive." Thomas noted, "We could probably capture her by somehow rendering her unconscious and getting her into a cell with an energy barrier, she might be able to turn into mist and slip through bars..."

"And we could feed her from a blood bank..." Jamie added.

"It's somewhat frightening that our two youngest students are the only ones with anything approaching a plan of dealing with this creature." Storm said gravely.

"I have a plan. Stake her and take off her head." Logan replied. "We ain't keeping no vampire cow as a pet!"

"Perhaps I should have specified a 'humane' plan." Storm said dryly.

"Now if I was an intelligent vampire cow in a city, where would I go?" Kurt tapped his fuzzy chin.

"I'd peg a warehouse for sleep, as for hunting, she could go anywhere."

"We should have sent out a ground team, too."

"I coulda' took my ride and avoided all this 'in-flight entertainment.' " Logan complained. "Nobody thought this through, did they?"

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Shub-Niggurath is an Outer Goddess of nature and fertility in The Cthulhu Mythos. You can find information on her very easily online.

_The Beginning of The End_ is a 1950's monster movie about giant locusts starring the late Peter Graves.

PETA, People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals. I have nothing against them, aside from releasing killer whales into the wild that have no chance of survival, lacking even the most basic of skills to feed themselves. So they starve to death.

Don't worry, this arc is almost over and we'll be on to other things.


	54. Chapter 54

Snakehead

54

Todd laughed as the grasshoppers swarmed over an obvious photograph of a building in Chicago. "I've had 'hopper before. Taste kinda' nutty."

Ray groaned, "This is almost as cheesy as _The Black Scorpion_. Remember that, when you could see right through the stop-motion scorpion as it rampaged through Mexico City?"

Todd nodded as Peter Graves shot a giant locust with a machine gun. "Did you know Peter Graves is James Arness' brother? Or was, they're both dead now."

"James Arness, from _Gunsmoke_, _Them_ and _The Thing From Another World_?"

"Yeah. _Them_ is a great monster flick. Giant ants..." He paused, "I hope Thomas is alright..."

"It will take more than Hellcow to take out Tom." Ray assured him, "He's too crazy to die that easily."

...

They finally spotted the bovine bloodsucker in a Super Walmart parking lot. Oddly enough, few of the patrons walking to and from their cars paid her little to no intention. They probably didn't want to get involved.

A wise idea.

"Got everything?" Scott asked.

"Everythin' but the cow."

"Kurt, you speak Swiss, right?" Tom asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Bessie is from Switzerland, hearing her owner's language might help."

Scott and Jamie laughed.

"He's right." Logan picked up the lasso, "Animals are smarter than some people, they recognize language. Why else would a dog 'play dead'?"

"For a treat."

"But how do they know what you're asking them to do, unless they can understand you? How do they know you're not asking them to 'sit' or 'shake'?"

"He has a point." Kurt said helpfully.

"Okay, okay. If she wants to sit down to hot chocolate and strudels and have a chat about the weather, we'll have Kurt talk." Scott said rather rudely, "For now, let's just focus on catching her."

"I say we use Scott as bait." Tom suggested.

"I agree." Kurt shot narrowed yellow eyes at Scott, "Hot chocolate and strudels?"

"Let's talk about stereotypes later. We need to contain Bessie before she gets away." Storm sighed in exasperation.

"Then let's go."

...

Hellcow regarded the newcomers curiously. They wore uniforms, and weren't trying to run away.

They were hunting her.

Military?

They began walking toward her, and one of the shorter ones began whirling a lasso.

She almost snorted in contempt. Bessie pulled back her lip, exposing sharp fangs.

He ran towards her...

...

Logan flung out the lasso. but the cow was too fast. Undeath had sharpened Bessie's senses, made her stronger, faster. She jumped out of the way, noting the had a strong musk about him, like an animal.

A predator.

He was dangerous.

She rammed him from behind, only to stagger back in pain. It was like hitting a truck. If she had been mortal, it would have killed her. Still, the short human went flying, landing a good distance away. She was dazed herself.

"Now!" Scott shouted and Jamie ran towards Bessie, activating his power.

...

Bessie couldn't believe her eyes. The young human had multiplied! She was surrounded by a dozen identical young humans who had literally emerged from the first. In all her years she'd never seen something like that.

Each held a small bag that smelled of garlic and bone dust, and each began to pour it out in a rough circle around her.

It was a trap!

Her great wings formed and she tried to take flight, but the air itself seemed to press her down. The human female was flying above her, somehow keeping her grounded.

She bellowed in rage.

...

"I think she's contained." Thomas eyes the cowled cow warily. As he'd predicted, she could not leave the circle.

"Now what?" Kurt asked.

"Now we call Beast and ask him to bring some kind of energy containment device to hold her, and get her somewhere the sun won't shine." Scott suggested.

The three boys giggled at that.

Scott's face blushed red. "You know what I mean! If the sun comes up while she's out here, she's jerky."

"I'm fine, thank's fer askin'." Wolverine rubbed his sore back. Truthfully, this wasn't the first time he'd tangled with a bovine, though those had been mortal bulls, not vampiric cows. Still, he couldn't believe that he's been pounded by a cow that _Howard the Duck_ had defeated...

There was the sound of screeching tires and automobile doors slamming.

"Hey, those creeps caught Bessie!" Someone shouted.

"Free Bessie!"

A group of hippies and protesters immediately began shouting shouting slogans and calling for Bessie's freedom.

Logan rolled his eyes, "Idiots. Do they even know what-"

"NO!" Thomas rushed to tackle a man who'd ran toward the thick line of powder, "You don't know what you're doing!"

"The powder! Get rid of the powder!" He screamed to the others.

A general rush in Bessie's direction commenced, and even Jamie's multiples couldn't stop them. They began scattering the powder, breaking the circle.

"You IDIOTS!" Thomas shouted as the man pushed him off, revealing his serpentine tongue to the crowd. "If she kills anyone else, it's on your heads!" Everyone stepped away from the serpent-tongued youth.

Bessie glared at the assembled humans with glowing red eyes.

Humans were such idiots.

"Mooooohahhahaha!" Her cape became bat-like wings, and she flew serenely away as The X-Men tried to hold the crowd back.

Jamie watched her go. "Awesome..."

...

Ray and Todd turned to see a dust-covered, red-faced, pissed off Thomas Salmons enter the room.

"I take it something went wrong?"

"A bunch of tree-humping hippies jumped us and freed Hellcow!" He practically growled, "I have to get a shower."

He walked over to his dresser, pulled out some clean civvies and walked into the bathroom without another word.

Ray quirked a brow, "They were attacked by hippies?"

A few minutes later Thomas emerged wearing a pair of dark blue sweatpants, toweling off his soaked hair, "Garlic and bone dust..." He muttered, "Those fools..."

"Anybody get hurt?"

"No, but Logan was ready to kill some hippies before Storm stopped him." He smiled grimly, "So was I."

"I think everyone feels that way at some time or another." Ray lay back in his bed, "Except about Forge, of course, He's a good hippie."

"Yeah. Forge is the exception." Tom agreed.

"Well, time for me ta' go interrupt the Lance and' Kitty love-fest. See ya' losers later."

"Bye."

Todd hopped down from Tom's bed and left the room.

Tom's hair was a mess, spiking out in all directions. "Ray, do I smell like garlic?"

"No."

"Good. I thought that dust would never come out." He collapsed onto his bed, throwing the towel aside. "Why don't people care about mutants like they do animals?"

"Because they know animals. Were wild cards, loose cannons. It's easier to hate us than to try to understand us."

"Bessie's probably out of town by now." Tom sighed, "You do remember we have our fittings tomorrow?"

Ray sat up and looked at his roommate in confusion, "Fittings?"

"For the _tuxedos_. I'm the best man, and you're one of the groomsmen."

Ray slapped his forehead, "The wedding! _Crap!_ I forgot!"

"Don't worry. We've got over a week."

...

To be continued...

Notes:


	55. Chapter 55

Snakehead

55

...

"Why do we have to go to New York to get a tuxedo, when we can get one in Bayville?"

Thomas looked around, as if about to spill a great secret, "So we can get out of here for a while." He whispered.

Ray laughed, "You hate DR that much?"

"No... Well, _yes_, but I just want to get out of Bayville, if only for a little while. Besides, they're designing all of the other tuxedos for the wedding." He grinned, "If we play our cards right, we may be able to stay for a few days."

Ray jumped up and fist-pumped the air, "If you're skipping class, count me in!"

...

The expensive black sedan pulled up to the school at exactly eight A.M. sharp.

Many of the students stood drooling over the expensive automobile as Thomas hurried Ray into the car.

"To the airport." He said, even though the driver clearly knew where they were going.

_Talk about a grand exit! _Ray shook his head, _At least it wasn't a limo._

He turned to Thomas, "You did tell Scott you were leaving, didn't you?"

"Oops, slipped my mind." He smiled innocently.

"You really _are _crazy."

Once they reached the airport, to Ray's surprise, they made their way through security and on to a private plane.

_I should have seen that coming._ Ray mused as he boarded the plane. The inside was a lot more comfortable than the X-Jet, large, padded seats, a small liquor cabinet (empty), a large screen television.

"Is this Airforce One?" Ray joked.

"No." Thomas smiled, "Just dad's private jet. And we have in flight entertainment."

He pointed to an expensive gaming console.

Ray grinned.

He was going to enjoy this ride!

...

New York City.

This was home. Emphasis on _was_.

Not here, exactly. Ray's family was lower middle class, and lived in a less glamorous part of town, far from this high society area.

Still, he wondered. He hadn't tried to contact them in years, the last time he'd spoken to them was basically the old 'You're not my son anymore' routine. He hadn't been able to speak to his brother, Andrew, since he'd run away/been kicked out. Andrew's cell phone number had been changed, as was his parents, eventually. He didn't know what he thought of his mutant brother.

He knew that all he had to do was ask Thomas and he'd have his driver take him to the Crisp family home.

But he couldn't do that.

He couldn't face his parents.

He couldn't take the rejection again.

"We're here." Thomas announced as they stopped before an elegant little shop with tuxedos and suits adorning mannequins in the large windows.

Judging from the price tags this wasn't were middle-class kids came to get their prom outfits. He just shrugged and went inside.

...

"I wonder how many innocent silkworms died to make this shirt?" Ray ran a hand down the soft white dress shirt, "Not to mention the tie..."

"We can mourn them later." Thomas was almost as bored as Ray. Trying on formal wear wasn't exactly a teenage boy's preferred way to spend an afternoon. "Once we're done here we'll do something fun and go to our hotel."

"Hotel? How long are we staying?"

Thomas gave a sly grin, "As long as we can get away with."

...

The Hotel,

Thomas had, of course, rented a hotel room for the duration of their stay. Two, actually, one for the boys and one for the driver. Surprisingly, it wasn't one of those incredibly expensive, fancy motels. It was a nice, cozy Marriott with two beds to a room. He could have gotten three, but Ray and Thomas were used to sharing a room, so there was no real awkwardness. Despite the fact that the Concierge had thought they were a '_cute little couple_' when they checked in together...

"Uh, Ray..." Thomas didn't know how to approach the subject, so he decided to do so head-on, "Didn't you say you were from New York? I could have-"

"No." Ray shook his head, "I've tried, and I've tried to speak to my parents. They don't want me anymore."

"Is there anyone you want to see?"

Ray shrugged, "My brother. But he probably hates me too. I don't even have his cell phone number."

"What's his name?"

"Andrew, why?"

Thomas pulled out his cell phone and dialed another number.

"Hi, it's me. Thomas Salmons. I need to ask you for a favor."

Ray couldn't hear the reply.

"I need to find a cell phone number. His name is Andrew Crisp. That's C.R.I.S.P." He paused, "New York City."

He pulled out a pen and paper, quickly writing down a number and handing it to Ray.

Ray looked down at the number, stunned. After all this time, he had his brother's cell phone number. Just like that. Within less than five minutes. Who the Hell had Thomas talked to? The CIA?

He looked at Thomas, wide-eyed.

"You probably want to be alone, right? I'll just go down to the gift shop... Good luck"

Ray finally found his voice, if it was only a whisper.

"Thank you."

He picked up his phone, took a deep breathe, and dialed the number.

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Andrew Crisp is an OC.


	56. Chapter 56

Snakehead

56

...

Andrew Crisp looked at his phone in disbelief.

_Ray Crisp_

_Why would Ray call? I thought he didn't want anything to do with us?_

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Andy? It's me. Ray." The voice was hesitant, nervous, even, but it sounded like Ray...

"Ray? I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with us..."

He could hear a loud sigh from the other side of the phone, "." Ray shook his head. Andrew had been with their grandparents when the whole mess went down. God only knew what he'd been told.. "That's not true. I love you guys." He felt moisture building up in his eyes. "I... I'm a mutant..."

"I know. I've seen you on TV. I thought that Storm woman had fried you for a minute there..." Andrew's voice betrayed a hint of concern.

"That? That was nothin'..." Truthfully, had he had nearly died. He'd been at full power when Storm made it rain. If not for the others he probably would have. But Andrew didn't need to know that, he'd only worry.

"I also read about you on the internet."

_That_ was a comforting thought...

"Whatever they said, it isn't true. _Especially_ anything Sunspot or Ice Man says. Or Jubilee. Or Boom-Boom. Or Multiple, or..."

"Yeah. That Boom-Boom chick's blog said a lot about you..." He grinned mischievously So you're _not_ a '_Total hunk_', a '_Blond god_' and a '_Fine piece of a**'? _"

"You're creepin' me out, bro." Ray interrupted, laughing nervously, reddening a bit. When they got back, he was going to have a long talk with Tabby. "You sound like my roommate." He paused for a few seconds, "Hold on a minute. You get video on your phone?"

"Yeah." Andrew almost smacked himself in the forehead, _Why didn't I think of that?_

"Just let me set this up..."

Soon they were looking at each in real time, on the small screen of their phones. Both had grown and changed considerably over the years they had been apart. Of course, the screens were small, and it was hard to judge size. But the changes were obvious.

They sat there for a moment, just looking at each others faces.

"So they lied.". Andrew said bitterly, breaking the silence.

Ray didn't need to ask who 'they' were. His 'loving' parents told his brother that he hated him. That he didn't want to be around him.

"They threw me out with the trash." He didn't quite want to be so harsh, but it just out. "I mean. As soon as they found out about my powers, mom and dad... They just..." He felt something between rage and sorrow, a pain deep inside. He still loved them, but...

Andrew's face reflected the feelings his brother was wrestling with, but at the moment, rage was winning. Something broke inside. It's bad enough to have your own parents say that your brother hates you, it's quite another to find out that they were lying, and threw your brother away like garbage because he was 'different'. Green eyes narrowed, he fought to control his breathing for a moment. That famous Crisp temper screamed for release

Ray watched him hesitantly. "Do... Do you hate me, for being a mutant?"

Andrew smiled, "No. Of course not!" He grinned wider, "And you still owe me ten dollars."

Ray laughed, "Same old Andy."

"Where are you?"

"Here. In New York. Some Marriott... "

"For how long?"

"I don't know. Maybe three days."

There was a pause.

Andy smirked, "What the Hell happened to your hair?"

Ray laughed, "You should see pictures of me with my old mohawk."

...

About an hour later,

Thomas stuck his head into the room, "Is everything alright?"

"Great!"

"Who's that?" Andrew asked.

"My roommate from school, Thomas Salmons. He's kind of like a psycho Richie Rich." He held the phone toward Thomas.

"So, you're Andrew." Thomas smiled. "Nice to meet you. And I'm not a psycho." He turned to Ray "As soon as you get into the shower..." He made a stabbing motion and laughed.

Ray rolled his eyes, "See what I mean. He's the one who got your number for me. He's a nice guy, when he isn't being all creepy..."

"_Creepy!?_" Thomas said in mock outrage, "Who are you calling creepy?"

"Since I'm here, I was thinking that, maybe, we could meet up somewhere... Ya' know?"

"Just name the place." Andrew paused, "Except home..."

Ray smiled sadly. How about the old basketball court in the park? Is it even still there?"

"Yeah, it's there. When?"

"Tomorrow morning, maybe ten."

"Sure." Andrew smiled, "And watch your back in the shower."

"With Tom around, I always do..." He shot a suspicious look at Tom, who held his hands up innocently. "And if you hit on my little brother I'll fry you like a turkey."

"How many times do I have to say it? _I'm_. _Not_. _Gay_."

"Suuuure." Ray smirked and rolled his eyes.

Tom smiled, walked up behind Ray, who was lying on his bed on his stomach, and slapped him on the rear.

Ray's eyes widened in disbelief as Andrew started laughing wildly. He turned and glared a warning at Tom before sitting up (to better protect himself) and turning back to the phone.

They talked for almost two more hours until Andrew heard his mother calling, wondering why he was on the phone instead of in bed. He told her he was talking to his girlfriend, but had to go anyways. The brothers said goodbye and confirmed the time and location for their clandestine meeting before 'hanging up.' Ray turned and glared at Thomas, who was still awake, for the fiftieth time since his roommate's hand had made contact with his bottom. "Touch my butt again and ..."

"_I'll die_. I got it." Thomas shook his head in frustration. Ray could get so grumpy sometimes!

Ray sighed, maybe it was his fault, for making all the remarks about him being a 'creepy gay psycho'.

Okay, it was definitely _his_ fault. But that was no excuse for smacking his butt... Especially in front of his little brother. He sighed, stripped to his boxers, turned off the lights and lay down, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

...

The next day,

Andrew Crisp waited nervously on the wooden bench that looked over the basketball court and the road beyond.

It was unbelievable.

To say he was relieved was an understatement.

To say he was pissed at his parents was another understatement.

How had Ray ceased to be Ray, the goofy, obnoxious, trouble-making oldest Crisp child? How could they decide that his DNA made their own flesh-and-blood nothing? Had they ever loved Ray? If they truly loved him, they would not have thrown him out like garbage and wished him dead. Andrew had no doubt that, if he manifested mutant powers, they'd do the same to him. Which meant only one thing.

His parents had never loved either of their children.

That hurt him to the core, and frightened him. If anything strange happened, they could turn on him, to.

A black sedan pulled into the parking lot, and Ray fairly jumped from the back seat before it had even come to a full stop. The brothers rushed to embrace each other. Neither boy was usually the hugging type, being tough guys, but this was an exception.

"I really thought you didn't..."

"That's alright. I should have tried harder to talk to you..." Ray looked his brother over, "Man, you've grown."

"It's been almost four years. I'm not eleven anymore. You've grown a lot yourself, what are they feeding you, _Mutant Wheaties_?"

"I wish! When I first came to the school, they let Kitty, Shadowcat, cook. You know the saying '_Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger_?' It was Survival Of The Fittest! God! That girl actually _burned water_! So I had to adapt to survive. Me an' Bobby started sneaking in pizzas, take-out, drive-thru, junk food, anything to stay alive. It was tough, but we survived, and she was finally banned from the kitchen after breaking one of the teacher's toes with her meatballs... We used to call her '_The Hell Chef'_, because only a demon could mangle cooking so horribly.I'd rather face Apocalypse than her 'cooking'!"

Andrew laughed and shook his head, "Sounds cruel and unusual. After we're done here let me buy you a pizza at Ray's."

Ray crossed his arms over his muscular chest, "Then you'll just add it to the ten I already owe you!"

"Hey, what can I say? That's business."

...

Thomas could see the family resemblance. Though a little younger, Andrew was almost as tall and well-muscled as his brother. Both had green eyes and blond hair. Andrew's hair was a bit long and shaggy, it almost looked windblown, unlike Ray's carefully styled and gelled locks. He was wearing a grey t-shirt, blue jeans and old sneakers. Ray had said his family was poor by 'average' standards. They were also both extremely handsome. He wondered idly what their worthless parents looked like...

As the boys embraced and tears fell from their eyes Thomas looked away, this was a private moment. The reunion of two long-lost brothers, and it was not his place to intrude upon them.

He was the third wheel once again.

But he didn't mind. It's not everyday you get to reunite two siblings who haven't seen each other in years.

...

"I know that's not _your_ car..."

"It's a rental, I think. Thomas owns a sweet '76 _El Camino_, but he isn't old enough to drive so he lets me use it. I guess I'm his chauffeur."

"Why are you in New York? Not that I'm not glad to see ya'..."

"His brother and one of my old friends are getting married. He's the best man and I'm a groomsman, and apparently his family only buys tuxedos from a ridiculously expensive shop in the Garment District... But hey, it got me out of class, so I'm not complaining."

Andrew gave a knowing grin, "You two are playing hooky..."

"Guilty as charged. Wolverine will probably kick my tail when I get back. But it was worth it..." He mussed his younger brother's hair, eliciting an angry grunt.

...

A short time later.

"And this my girlfriend, Scaleface."

Andrew looked at the attractive young Asian woman displayed on the screen of his brother's cell phone, "Nice! 'Scaleface' isn't her real name, right?"

Ray shrugged, "It is to her. She gave up her human name to show that she rejected the people who had rejected her."

"Why is she called 'Scaleface'?"

Ray flipped to another picture, and Andrew gasped in shock.

"Is that a _dragon_ ?!"

"That's Scaleface. She can turn into a dragon the way a werewolf can go from human to wolf." He grinned, "Her temper is almost as bad as mine, and I know from personal experience never to piss off a girl who can turn into a dragon."

"So you're dating a Dragon Lady?"

Ray laughed softly, "Yeah." He grinned, "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Andrew clicked on a picture of himself and a brown-haired girl, a selfie. They were laughing, his strong arm around her shoulder.

"Man! Is that Susie Thompson?" Ray asked in surprise.

"Yeah. That's Susie."

"Man, I have been gone too long! I can't believe it..." When he'd left, she'd been a twelve-year old version of a stereotypical librarian. Plain, unsmiling and always with her nose in a book. Now she was a pretty, laughing teenager.

"She's great! She's funny, smart and hot. Pays to be nice to people, right?" Andrew smiled. He looked around and pointed towards the car, "How long is your friend going to sit there? That car will draw a lot of attention in this neighborhood."

...

Thomas jumped as knuckles rapped against the tinted window.

"Yo, Thomas! Are you gonna' meet Andy or what?"

Thomas opened the door, "I just figured you wanted family time."

"You're family. Besides, this car is drawing the last thing we need, _Attention_."

Thomas turned to the driver. "Mr. Whateley, you have... How long do you think we'll be here?"

Ray shrugged.

"You're off duty until I call you to come back and pick us up. Go to lunch or see the sights... Whatever you want."

"Thank you, sir."

Andrew stepped up as the black car pulled away, "So you're Thomas Salmons."

"In the flesh." Thomas shook his hand.

Andrew noted that his mouth hadn't moved when he'd spoken.

"Are you one of those mind-readers?"

Thomas smiled, "No, thank God. I speak through this." Thomas pointed to the device around his throat, "It picks up the vibrations from my voice box and translates them into words."

"Yeah, Ray said something about having a snake for a tongue?"

"Right."

"Can I see it?"

"I can't just stick it out here, where everyone can see it." Immediately his face flushed as the brothers started laughing.

"Well... Andy..." Ray managed to gasp out, "You did ... ask to... see his _snake_..."

Now all three of them were laughing. Andrew elbowed his laughing brother.

"You... big jerk!" He sputtered.

...

Later,

"You still can't shoot to save your life." Ray taunted playfully.

"Yeah, well you still wear _sandals_! What are you, a hippie?" Andy snatched the ball away and went for a score, "Nothin' but net..."

"Just a lucky shot." Ray broke off to go to the nearby water fountain. "Try not to lose the ball or anything."

"Just don't get lost on the way to the water fountain, _Rachel_."

"Shut up, _Annie_!"

Ray flipped his brother off in response.

Andrew turned to Thomas, "Do you play?"

"Not really. I'm not much with sports..."

Andrew looked the other boy over. Looking at him, you couldn't tell he was rich. He was short, pale and skinny, with brown hair set in a fauxhawk and odd eyes, light green with a hint of chocolate. He wore an ordinary red t-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes. He didn't even wear a watch.

"C'mon, you can't just sit there all day..."

Thomas sighed and got up from the bench.

"Trying to find an opponent you can actually beat, Andy?" Ray chuckled. "Watch out, he's pretty nimble."

"So, how did you get saddled with my idiot brother as a roommate?" Andrew asked, starting to dribble the ball.

"Luck of the draw." He made a grab for the ball, but missed. Andrew moved to take the shot. "I could have done a lot worse."

"Me too." Ray replied, "You're the first roommate I've had I didn't try to kill. _Yet. _I still don't know how Roberto surv-" He stopped mid-sentence as Thomas successfully blocked Andrew's shot. Which was impressive as Andrew was almost 6' tall and Thomas was only 5'3".

"I'm not good at playing, but I'm great at blocking. I am 'The Amazing Human Shield Boy' after all."

"I have a funny feeling this is gonna' be a long game..."

To be continued...

Notes:

Which Ray's pizza are they going to? Whichever you think is better.

I was originally going to have Andrew being told Ray was dead, but I realized between television, the internet and all the newspapers and magazines, not to mention the other kids at school, that was pretty implausible.

I obviously had trouble with this chapter, hopefully the next will be better...

Tom is 15

Andrew is 16

Ray is 18


	57. Chapter 57

Snakehead

57

The game wasn't as long as they expected, after reaching an impasse, with Andrew unable to get past Thomas and Thomas' poor attempts at dribbling making his offense fall apart, the latter chose to simply forfeit. Ray and Andrew gave him a few pointers on dribbling before they decided to go to Ray's pizzeria for lunch.

Thomas couldn't eat pizza with his mutation, so he decided that some (mild) wings to go would be best.

"We could always go somewhere else." Andrew offered.

"No. I can't eat in public anyway. I've been working on putting my food into Junior's mouth without letting him out, but I haven't perfected it yet." Tom explained, "Until then, everything I eat is take-out." He smiled, "Besides, today is about you guys, not me."

Ray hailed a cab and the three boys climbed in.

"Will your guy be able to find you?"

"Yeah, all I have to do is call him and tell him where we are." He shrugged, "I could have called him to take us to this pizza place, but he's probably eating right now himself. Besides, I'm paying."

"I'm not going to let you pay for the pizza and wings. It's my treat."

Tom pouted, "Okay then. I'll pay for the cab, you snag lunch."

Andrew was about to protest when Ray tapped him on the shoulder and shook his head. "There's no reasoning with him. If he wants to pay for something, he will."

Before anyone could reply, the song '_Werewolves of London_' began to play. Andrew pulled out his phone and looked at the number.

"CRAP! It's dad!"

"Tom, don't say anything." Ray whispered, even though his brother hadn't even answered the phone yet. Both boys went silent.

"Oh, hey dad." He looked at Ray, who just shook his head sadly. Ray didn't want to ruin his day with his brother by talking to the people who'd thrown him out.

"I was shooting hoops. I'm just going to grab something to eat."

"When do you think you and mom will be home?"

"Okay. I'll see you then. Bye." He put the phone back in his pocket, "Dad says there's some mandatory meeting at the factory, he and mom are going to be late tonight." He smiled, "I guess that means we have more time to ourselves."

"What kind of factory do they work at?"

"Meat processing."

"It just occurred to me," Tom said, "I've been Ray's roommate for months. We spend most of our time together. But I honestly don't know much about your past." He turned to Ray.

Ray looked down at his sandals, "I didn't want to talk about it. It's just too painful."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's not your fault. I just have a hard time talking to people about my past, my problems." Ray sighed, "I'm a guy. Guys don't talk about pain and feelings and crap. We're programmed from birth to hold it all in until we go postal..."

...

The Mansion, Xavier's office,

Scott Summers was going postal, "You let them go alone!? To New York City!?"

"Ray is a native New Yorker, and Thomas has an armed chauffeur. Both of them are combat trained, and can defend themselves quite well."

"They're also highly immature, reckless teenagers."

"Ray is far more mature and responsible than you give him credit for. If he was not, he would not be a full-fledged X-Man. Thomas, on the other hand..."

Wolverine grunted, "He wouldn't last five minutes without Ray."

"Right now Thomas and Ray are eating pizza with Ray's brother Andrew at a local pizzeria.."

Logan scratched his chin, "I didn't know Ray had a brother... Kid never really talks about his family."

"Thomas can't eat pizza, and he doesn't eat in public." Storm noted.

"I'm beginning to get the feeling that I'm the only one with confidence in these boys."

"I have plenty a' confidence in Ray, or I wouldn't have recommended him as an X-Man." Logan said, "But Thomas is a wild card. He jumped in front a' me in full Berserker Mode..."

"Hopefully he won't run into such a situation in New York."

...

"I'm serious! I've seen the pictures!" Ray was laughing over his pizza.

"Storm with a mohawk... That's just weird." Thomas shook his head, but he was smiling. "I had a mohawk, briefly. I grew it as part of my Kamakiri cosplay, but dad made me shave it off..."

Ray had ordered a pizza with extra meat, being a carnivorous creature, but Andrew had went a step further and added anchovies to his half. Thomas sat, his take-out box of chicken wings sitting on the table, untouched.

Ray reached into his pocket and pulled out his tan leather wallet, then selected a twenty and held it out to Andrew, "Here's the ten I owe you, with interest."

"I was joking about that, you know." His brother said.

"I know."

There was a shout from the door, "RAY!"

Ray turned toward the door, stunned. Five people about his age, four boys and a girl, were standing there, smiling at him. He stood up, and couldn't find words.

Andrew smiled, "Surprise! I figured you'd want to see the old gang again..."

Thomas looked at the others as they practically mobbed Ray with handshakes and hugs.

_So much for not drawing attention to ourselves..._

"Mary, DeShawn, Alan, Cody, Jimmy..." Ray was fighting desperately to keep his cool face on, and failing miserably, "You guys..."

"We couldn't pass up an opportunity to meet a hometown hero, could we?"

Ray blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"He's blushing!" Mary, a petite blonde grinned playfully. "A modest superhero..."

"I'm not really a superhero... I'm not like Spider-Man or something. I just help the team..."

"You helped stop Apocalypse. That's pretty super-heroic." Alan, a tall, skinny boy resembling Sam Guthrie said in a surprisingly deep voice, "You helped capture The Reavers-"

"You blew up a couple a' cop cars!" Jimmy chuckled, "That was pretty sick, dude!" He was muscular, a high school wrestler, with dyed blue-green hair.

"Uh, let's not talk about that here..." Ray looked nervously around at the other customers, who surprisingly either didn't seem bothered or were too busy on their cell phones to pay attention to the mutant in their midst.

There was a scraping of chairs and a rush as they all pulled up chairs to a longer table, with Ray, Andrew and Thomas transferring their food there as the others began to order.

"Who's this?" Mary indicated Thomas.

"My roommate, Thomas Salmons." Ray slung an arm around the smaller boy, "He helped me find Andy."

"Are you an X-Man too?" Alan asked.

"No, not yet. I'm barely a New Mutant. I've only been at the school for a few months."

"I remember you!" DeShawn said, "You were the one I saw on YouTube, fighting that hippie and Hellcow! You keep that snake in your mouth!"

"Not exactly one of my shining moments," _Great, I'm on YouTube..._ Thomas shook his head at the memory, "Those drugged-up Kool-Aid drinkers let a dangerous vampire escape to claim more victims. They should be ashamed... Brainless tree-humping little-"

"_Tree-humping?_" Jimmy interrupted, "You don't happen to play _World of Warcraft_, do you?"

Thomas smiled proudly, "Yeah. I'm Thomas Elvenbane, Troll warrior and greatest exterminator of pointy-eared tree-humpers in all of Azeroth."

"I've heard of you, you're psycho Troll!" It came out as a compliment, "You even kill Blood Elves, your own allies in The Horde!"

"Just the ones who deserve it. Besides, you can't trust a Blood Elf, everyone knows that. Who do you play?"

"Ja'Meis, Troll shaman!"

"Nerd Alert!" Cody shouted.

"I know you, you healed me after the battle with that Night Elf wizard!"

_Oh dear God! They know each other! _Ray face-palmed.

"Nerds of a feather..." Mary sighed.

"Is he always this weird?" Andrew indicated Thomas with his thumb.

"No." Ray sighed, "Sometimes he's worse..."

...

Everyone was trading pictures and stories to make up for the last three years, as much as they could in the short time left before Ray and Thomas would have to leave. So much had happened, so much had changed that Ray's head was practically spinning.

Thomas and Jimmy were talking excitedly in pitifully fake Jamaican accents about all the Elves they'd slain and the Awesome Glory of being a Troll. DeShawn, who was part Jamaican, didn't bother correcting them, enjoying the site of the white boys making fools out of themselves.

"_FOR DA HORDE!_" Tom and Jimmy shouted in unison.

"We're not with them!" Ray exclaimed loudly

...

After they finished eating, Thomas called Mr. Whateley to pick them up. Well aware that eight people would not fit in the sedan, he asked the man to bring something bigger.

He arrived in a light blue minivan.

...

As they sat in a secluded are of the park, the group watched in fascination as Thomas ate.

"What about the bones?" Andrew asked.

"He can digest just about anything," Ray explained, "It's part of his mutation."

"Cool."

_But it's not so helpful in battle. I have to rely on my fists, unless I want to kill the other guy..._ Thomas signed.

"Have you ever been tempted to-?"

_I'd rather not talk about it._

...

Unfortunately, all good things must end. Eventually the group dispersed, going their separate ways home. As the sun was setting Andrew knew that he had to return home, so that his parents would not become suspicious. After all, if they had thrown out Ray, how would they feel about their remaining child keeping ties with him?

For Andrew's safety, they had be apart.

The two brothers embraced in a crushing hug.

"Keep in touch, Ray."

"I will... If I survive this hug..."

They both laughed, a welcome sound.

"Besides, we each have the other's numbers and E-Mail now. We can keep up with everything." Ray smiled.

Andrew indicated Thomas, "Just don't let your '_Sugar Daddy_' walk all over you."

Ray turned a brilliant red, "He's _NOT_ my 'Sugar Daddy'!'

"Hey, we all gotta' make money..." Andrew laughed as Ray chased him, promising a slow and painful death, "Might as well use what ya' got, right?"

"_Not_ cool, Andy!" Ray grabbed his brother by the collar and gave him a ferocious noogie. "What was that about 'Sugar Daddies?' brat?"

Andy was laughing. "Hey, Tom, take good care of my idiot brother!"

"I will!" He grinned evilly, "That's a Sugar Daddy's responsibility, after all... I take good care of _my boy_."

Ray glared death at him, "You are _so_ dead, Salmons!"

Thomas might not be a fighter, but he's agile, and managed to evade the furious Berzerker until the older boy simply gave up in frustration.

Andy just laughed, "I gotta go before mom and dad get home... Be careful out there. I don't want to lose you to some dead blue loser or an idiot in a tin hat who thinks he's The Messiah."

"Yeah, yeah. Just stay away from drugs. And gangs. And tobacco..."

"_Just say no_. I got it."

They gave each other one last hug before Andrew hesitantly turned and walked away.

Ray sat on a bench, watching his brother's retreating figure sadly.

...

As they got back into the minivan, Ray took the opportunity to slap Thomas on the back of the head.

"OUCH!"

"That's for the Sugar Daddy jokes. And for slapping my ass."

Thomas rubbed the back of his head, "Well, it's very slappable."

Ray growled, "It's reserved for Scaleface."

"Do you think any of the people who saw us will tell your parents?" Thomas said, changing the subject.

"This isn't Bayville. People don't even know their neighbor's names half the time. If they do, and they do something to Andrew, the gloves come off, parents or not." Ray lay his head back and sighed. He sat there for a moment, looking at the minivan's ceiling. "Tom. Thanks. For everything. You have no idea what this meant to me..."

"Don't mention it...'

...

"There's one more place I want to go." Tom said cheerfully. Ray moaned and rubbed his eyes. Knowing Tom, it was probably a museum.

To his surprise, they pulled into the parking lot of a small, dark building he recognized at once.

He'd been there before, buying things like studded wristbands and cheap Gothic jewelry. He looked at Thomas in surprise as the latter exited the car.

"We've got about thirty minutes before the store closes." Tom said brightly, "If you want anything, let me know."

The interior was dark, punk rock pounded from the speakers as a few tattooed employees with a wide variety of exotic hairstyles turned to look at the new customers.

"Nice hair, dude." A man with purple liberty spikes nodded to Ray. "Mini liberty spikes..."

"Thank you. You should have seen my mohawk."

"And people say punk is dead!"

"Ray? Ray Crisp? Is that you?" A guy with a mohawk and tattoos of serpents covering most of his visible form appeared from a dark aisle. "I thought you left and joined The X-Men."

"I did, eventually. I thought they were going to leave me in The Baby Brigade forever, but I finally got promoted." He smiled proudly, "Now I'm a full-fledged X-Man."

"Your parents still being asses about you being a mutant?"

Ray nodded, "Yeah. But Andrew accepts me. But, I'm being rude," He turned to Tom, "This is my roommate, Thomas Salmons. Thomas, this is Fang."

"A pleasure." Tom shook the man's hand.

"And that's Spike, with an 'I', Tessa, Slash and..." He didn't recognize the guy with the long black bangs spiked down like the legs of some sort of insect or arachnid.

"You don't recognize me? We went to school together. Matt Ben Tobin?"

Ray remembered now. Matt Ben Tobin, they'd suffered through math and Physics together for several years until Ray's unexpected departure.

"I take it Rabbinical training didn't work out?"

"No, I'm afraid not. And I go by Spider now."

The downward facing, heavily gelled bangs did indeed look like the legs of a gigantic spider...

Thomas started searching through the Doc Martens for boots his size while Ray looked at the Goth rings, with their leering skulls and bizarre designs. He picked up a ring shaped like a set of pointed teeth about to snap down on their prey.

Thomas emerged from the dressing room like a totally different person. He was wearing a blue, ripped and tattered denim jacket, matching jeans and shiny black Doc Martens with bright yellow laces and soles. For some reason, he was wearing a mesh shirt under the jacket, his pale, skinny upper body exposed. He was also wearing a spiked collar, fingerless gloves and a studded wristband. He had clip-on piercings in his ears, and one in his nose...

It took all of Ray's strength not to laugh out loud.

"How do I look?"

Ray was on his knees, holding his sides and laughing like a maniac. It wasn't so much the punk clothing as _who_ was wearing them. It looked right, but knowing Thomas' personality made it seem so bizarre.

Thomas bought it all anyway.

Ray bought the ring and a small statue of a green dragon climbing a tower. He refused to let Thomas pay, as the dragon would be a gift for Scaleface. He wished she'd been able to come along, to meet his brother. Of course, neither of them had expected this to happen, and shopping for tuxedos was almost certainly not Scaleface's idea of a good time.

He wondered what she'd look like in a bridesmaid's dress...

...

Back at the hotel,

Ray sat staring out the window into the brightly lit city below.

He'd gotten to spend a whole day with his brother.

A lot of guys his age wouldn't be able to stand five minutes with their younger siblings, but they hadn't been forced apart. His parents were home by now, his mother was probably in bed, his dad in front of the TV.

He knew that, miles away, Andrew would be standing at his window, looking out and thinking much the same things he was.

It was cruel. It was unfair.

And they couldn't do a damn thing about it.

How could they? How could his parents love him for thirteen years, then just throw him away because he could manipulate electricity? He was still the same person, but they were like strangers.

Hostile strangers.

He shook his head and pulled the curtains. He didn't bother undressing, he just fell into bed.

Tomorrow they were going back.

Hopefully he wouldn't have to wait three more years to see Andrew again.

To be continued...

Notes:

_Werewolves of London _Is a real song from 1978 by the late Warren Zevon.

Ja'Meis is pronounced _Jah-Maze_.

Trolls in _World of Warcraft_ have Jamaican accents for some reason.

Blood Elves eventually betrayed The Horde. Since this an AU, it doesn't really matter.

Azeroth is the planet most of the WOW adventures take place on.

Kamakiri is a minor character in One Piece, from the Skypiea arc.

The 'dead blue loser' is Apocalypse.


	58. Chapter 58

Snakehead

58

Thomas looked over at Ray as they flew back to Bayville. His usual expressions (joy, boredom, annoyance or anger) were absent, leaving only a blank emptiness. Thomas could not imagine how he felt. Being reunited with the only family member who accepted him after three years, and having less than half-a-day with him. He cursed himself for being so stupid as not to think of that before hand.

"Are you alright?" He asked, "Besides the obvious."

"I just want to blow something up. Any way you could get Justin Bieber to Bayville?" Ray smirked, "He's had it coming for years..."

"Probably, but if you hurt Bieber, most of the girls and half the guys on the planet will want to kill you."

"Don't they already? I guess I'll just have to make do with beating Roberto to a pulp..." He laughed, "I thought he wasn't that popular after he went all Miley Cyrus..."

Thomas just shrugged.

There was silence for a moment.

"What was your mother like?" Ray asked softly.

"She was a good person. She was small, but strong, except for the nicotine. Physically, I take after her, Richard looks like dad, and I look kind of like mom..." He sighed, "She was smart. She graduated 1st in her class at Harvard. She studied law, but she took other courses as well. Studying ancient legal systems lead her to archaeology, which I picked up from her. She'd take me to digs all over the world... But the smoking... She wanted to stop, but she didn't have the strength. I don't like to think about those last months, watching her waste away..." His voice trailed off.

Ray looked away, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." He shrugged, "I was angry for a long time... Really angry. How can they let people openly sell lethal, addictive drugs in any supermarket or convenience store in the world?" He let out an exasperated sigh, "People go insane over Swine Flu and Bird Flu and ignore the biggest killer of all. I'm bitter, I'll admit it. You want to know the irony? Part of my families early fortune was made in tobacco. So was Shaw's, and Pierce's and many others... They're too powerful to stop."

"I'd be bitter too."

Thomas smiled, changing the subject, "Ray. What do you do during Spring Break or holidays? I know you don't go home..."

"I usually stay at the mansion and train." He had an idea where this was headed.

"You can come to stay with my family."

"I'm not sure your father would appreciate that."

Tom laughed, "I think that my father likes you better than he likes me in some ways."

Ray cocked a brow, but didn't ask what he meant by that. He had enough problems with his own parents.

"Besides, would you rather spend your vacation with _Scott Summers?"_

"I'd rather spend my vacation with a Wendigo than Summers. But vacations give me time to be around Scaleface more."

"Well, it wouldn't have to be _every_ vacation..."

"How do I know you won't molest me in my sleep?"

"We're roommates, if I were going to molest you in your sleep, I'd have done it by now." He laughed softly, "Besides, you could kill me easily... You know what electricity does to me."

Ray shook his head. Thomas was being very generous, but there was a problem with his idea.

"I'm not the only student without a family to go to. There's Todd, Lance... Hell, all of The Brotherhood, Simon's parents don't want him, Broo's species wants him dead..."

"Dad owns some pretty big mansions... But you're right. It would be unfair to only take you, and to take you _all_ might be too much for dad." He scratched his chin thoughtfully, "We could take you all to Disneyworld or something... Or maybe a cruise..."

"A _cruise_? We've been there, done that... It didn't end well..."

"Well Hell! Then I'll just stay at the mansion!"

_God help us all..__._

...

Of course, Scott was waiting when the car pulled in. As the chauffeur began taking the luggage to the boys' room, he approached them, frowning.

"You went off to New York City, without adult supervision -"

"We had permission from the Professor. Besides, I'm an adult. I'm eighteen." Ray replied in a strained voice. He was _not_ in the mood for this kind of crap.

Cyclops frowned, "Yes, but do you _act_ it?" He turned to Thomas, "You stay an extra day, without calling us, then you go into a dangerous part of town, send your chauffeur away-"

"What would you have done in my place? Left without seeing Alex again?" Ray's voice had an edge to it now.

"This isn't about Alex." Scott muttered. Ray was quickly getting the upper hand on his teammate.

"No, it's not." Ray stood up, glaring at his fellow X-Man. He was slightly taller than Scott, and his furious, electric blue eyes bored into Scott's crimson shades, "This is about _my_ brother. My brother I haven't seen in almost four years. And if you think I have no right to see him again, then you, _Mr. Summers,_ can go to Hell!"

With that Ray stormed away.

Thomas snarled at Scott, clenching his fist. "It was _my_ idea to stay, you insensitive, self-righteous, overbearing, pompous little dictator." He hissed, and his eyes were a brighter green than before, "You think that because Xavier chose you to be an 'Original' that you're better than everyone else. You're the lowest piece of trash here, _Herr Summers_."

Scott hung his head as Thomas turned his back on him and left.

"Even I could'a done better than that." Logan's gruff voice came from behind him, "Just 'cause yer team leader don' make you their God, ya know."

"I know." Scott said softly, almost a whisper, but he didn't turn around. "'The Fearless Leader'... But every time I try to talk to a kid, I seem to make things worse. Is something wrong with me? Do I not have empathy or any of those other traits people need to deal with troubled kids?"

"Ya' have it, or ya' wouldn't be askin'. Yer problem is you can't switch out of battle mode. You're always the field commander, the drill sergeant, even when they need a friend or a sympathetic ear. Life ain't all a battle. Quite barking orders and try to _listen_ to what _they_ have to say."

_Scott._ Xavier's telepathic voice broke into the conversation, _I need to speak with you in my office as soon as possible. I think you know what this is about. _

"I'll be right there, professor."

"Got called to the principle's office?"

There was no need to reply.

...

Scott noticed that the other students who had overheard the exchange were either intentionally ignoring him or glaring in his direction. And word spread fast. It seemed the entire student body was against him.

_Do they hate me that much?_ He wondered as he made his way to Xavier's office. _Is it really do to this incident, or has it been building up for years? _He knew he was unpopular, both among his students and some of his fellow X-Men, but he was just trying to be thorough, to keep things under control. Yes, he was strict, but better safe than sorry, right? The outside world wouldn't coddle these kids, they needed to learn to survive.

_Herr Summers..._

He paused a few seconds before Xavier's door, staring at the knob, before going in.

...

"Raymond doesn't give his trust easily. You remember how he was when he first came here. We had to earn mutual respect. Only when we respected each other did he finally become a serious student, and even then he was headstrong and prone to childish pranks." Xavier's eyes narrowed, "Now we are back at square one. Or, rather, _you_ are. He no longer has any respect for you, as a teacher, a leader or an X-Man. While you did not intend it, you implied that his family, his life was secondary to your expectations for him."

"..."

"And you knew that Logan and I gave Ray and Thomas permission to travel to New York City. While they did overstay for a day, Ray's motivation was more than reasonable. He wanted to see his brother again. I cannot judge him for that, and, quite frankly, neither should you."

"I need to apologize."

"Yes, you do. But I would not advise it now. Berzerker is currently in The Danger Room, working off his rage by killing holograms of you. It would be wise to avoid him until his temper has cooled."

"And Thomas?"

"Thomas' mental state has fluctuated quite a bit since coming here, and right now, he _hates_ you. Ray is merely angry and has lost faith in you, Thomas... Whatever progress we've made with Thomas' feelings towards you is gone. To him, you're just a petty martinet, a drill sergeant who has stepped over the line and hurt one of his friends. And, despite his wealth, his friends are pretty much all he has, emotionally. He will not forgive that easily, if at all."

"But he's on C-Team. How can I train Thomas if he truly hates me?" Scott asked.

"I'm going to try to reason with him, of course. With _both_ of them," Xavier sighed, "Berzerker will likely forgive it, in time, as a slip of the tongue. Thomas, on the other hand, can be a cold and vengeful young man. There's no telling how he'll react..."

Scott rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Professor, how many of the students actively resent me? How many of them think I'm an overbearing slave-driver?"

Xavier frowned, "Perhaps that discussion would be better held at a later time. Let us just say that you are not the most... _Popular_ instructor at the school, and leave it at that."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Sorry Justin...

The cruise Ray mentioned was in the episode '_Cruise Control_'.

Electricity hurts Thomas more than most people, a slight shock can make him ill and confused, a moderate shock would probably be lethal.

Sympathetic Scott? Blasphemy!

Ray is was 6' tall when he was 15-16, so I assume he's taller now that he's 18. Scott is listed at 6' tall at 19. He's about 23 now, but he probably reached his peak height at 18.

In answer to the question, 'Where is Wolfsbane?', she's most likely at the school, she just hasn't come up in the story. Magma, Piotr and Rogue are also MIA, but it stated that Rogue lives with Destiny somewhere else. I'm also terrible at writing accents, and Rahne is Scottish. Alex is at the school, we just haven't seen him yet, he may appear in the next chapter.


	59. Chapter 59

Snakehead

59

_Back off, I'll take you on/_

_Headstrong, to take on anyone/_

_I know that you are wrong/_

_Headstrong, we're headstrong/_

_Back off, I'll take you on/_

_Headstrong, to take you on/_

_I know that you are wrong/_

_And this is not where you belong..._

Ray looked down at the shattered Scott Summers stimulation lying on the floor. This time he'd broken his jaw with a quick roundhouse in under a minute.

He shook his head.

_How many times did I just trash Cyclops_?

His anger over Summer's arrogance and rigid stupidity had brought him into a truly vicious rage. He was glad he'd decided to take it out on holograms instead of the real man. As angry as he was, he didn't want real blood on his hands.

Of course, beating up holographic representations of one of your teammates is not exactly an ideal way to deal with anger issues, as Professor Xavier would not doubt tell him when he decided to call him into his office. And it didn't help improve his reputation as a hot-headed, immature kid, either.

In a way it was embarrassing.

But Summers was just so infuriating. It was like he had the world's biggest stick shoved up his butt. Always acting so superior, so perfect. Snot-nosed little preppy. But he was too tired to bother right now. Between the flight and the DR session, he was sore, tired and hungry.

As he walked into the hallway he found Summers waiting for him.

_Alex Summers_.

Alex was a good kid, probably because he hadn't been raised with his brother.

"Ray." He said softly, "I just wanted to apologize for my brother... I know Scott can be really anal..."

Ray grunted, "Thanks. I know you mean it, Alex, and I appreciate it. But it's not you I'm angry at. If he wants to apologize, he should be man enough to do it himself."

"Scott almost never admits he's wrong, but I think this time he won't have a choice. Even Logan said he was harsh." Alex shrugged. "He'll apologize, once his balls grow back."

Ray laughed, "That may take some time. But thanks." He frowned slightly, "Have you seen Thomas?"

"No. I haven't. You don't think he'd do something crazy, do you?"

Thomas might be much smaller and weaker than Ray, but he'd proven on occasion that he could be thoroughly ruthless when angered. His temper made Ray's look like a pleasant chat over afternoon tea.

...

Thomas looked around carefully, and tasted the air to make sure he was alone. Kyle, Laura, Rahne and the other ferals loved to spend their free time in the forest, and Logan and the other instructors occasionally used it as a training ground, setting up booby traps and capture devices, though they usually warned students beforehand.

_Usually._

Some of the instructors had a real sick sense of humor.

It was quiet, and the air was clear. He figured it wouldn't be long before Xavier called him in to 'discuss' the incident with Captain Nazi. He'd come very close to hitting Scott, again, and truth be told he was still furious at _Herr Summers_ for his reaction.

How had Scott ended up such an insensitive douche-bag? Alex was alright, Jean and the other 'Original' X-Men didn't lord it over everyone, though Storm could get a bit imperious at times, being a 'goddess' and all, but nothing approaching Scott.

Maybe he felt insecure about his own place, so he was obsessed with being a 'perfect' little soldier.

True, Logan ran them ragged, but he could offer praise in his own way, and wasn't judgmental of his students personal lives.

Scott was just _mental_.

He thought he was better than everyone else. Even his fellow 'Originals', if his arguments with Logan were anything to go by. He made no secret of his contempt for The Brotherhood kids, especially Lance. Cyclops and Avalanche. Two Alpha dogs fighting for leadership, territory and respect. The latter Scott had already lost in his eyes. Lance Alvers (_What a weird name._ He noted mentally, _Almost a pun..._) was a better leader than Summers was, he'd kept The Brotherhood alive and kicking with no adult support or supervision. And without money from a rich sponsor like The Professor. Lance knew how to survive with nothing. Sure, he usually did so by stealing what they needed, food, clothing, etc... But that was the only option they had had to stay alive.

Like when Ray had been a pick-pocket and petty thief while living on the street. It had been either that, starve, or sell himself.

And _no one_ should have to sell their body to survive

Thomas had no right to say that Scott had never suffered under such a situation because he himself was born wealthy and with everything he wanted handed to him on a silver platter. He'd had far more than Scott could even imagine. He'd never known hardship, either.

But still, sometimes Scott treated them, especially ones like Ray and Todd, like something he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe.

And blaming Ray when it had been Thomas' idea to stay longer, blaming Ray for wanting to see the only family member who didn't hate him as a mutant freak... That went beyond the pale. Seeing him blame Ray for Thomas' actions was bad, seeing him belittle his desire to be with Andrew, that was unforgivable.

He briefly hope that Scott might find himself beneath a sentinel's foot, before catching himself.

No matter how much he hated him, no matter how angry he was, wishing his enemy dead was wrong.

His enemy.

Was Scott Summers really his enemy?

He lay back under the shade of a large tree and looked up at the blue sky.

In some ways, _yes_, Scott Summers was his enemy. He was certainly not his friend.

How could he accept such a fool as an instructor?

He enjoyed his team, they were his friends. Angelo, Todd, Jamie, even Tabitha and Bobby. He worked well with them. He liked them.

But he did not believe that he could work with such an insufferable creature as Scott Summers.

Perhaps he should have went to Ray, apologized for causing this mess in the first place.

But he had seen Ray's joy when reunited with his brother and his friends, his gratitude. Ray would not want him to apologize, would he?

And he was no longer alone.

"Hey Kyle, Laura. I'm not in your spot or anything, am I?" He called out.

"Our spot is deeper in the forest." Laura said shamelessly as Kyle gawked at her, "What? It is."

Kyle lept over to crouch beside him. "Are you alright? We heard what happened."

So they'd sent Kyle and X-23 to 'reason' with him.

He was so tired and angry he didn't even feel his normal abject terror of being in such close proximity to Laura Kinney.

"It always seems to happen, in one way or another. I think Cyclops and I are natural enemies, hes the mongoose and I'm the snake."

"Do you want to kill him?" X-23 asked bluntly.

"I've... _Thought_ about it. But he's not really evil or intentionally dangerous, he's just the bane of my existence. I don't want to kill anyone, but that's all my powers are good for."

"What would you say If I told you the first time I met met Ray I beat him up?" Laura said coldly.

"I know. He told me. Why do you think I'm afraid of you? Besides your father, that is."

She made no comment about his fear of her, most of the students were afraid of her to some degree. "Do you want to kill or hurt me?"

"No. And even if I did, I'd stand no chance against you."

"Did Ray tell you that he and Scott fought side-by-side trying to stop me." She smirked, "I still kicked their butts."

There was a slight gleam in Thomas' eyes, "If you're trying to get a rise out of me, you don't want to go there. _I_ don't anyway. I happen to like living." He smiled thinly, "Besides, you used that Rogue girl to knock them out. That doesn't count as 'kicking their butts'."

"I'm sure you'd consider that preferable to using these." She unsheathed her claws, "That was my second option."

The gleam intensified, but his face remained impassive. In truth, she _was_ trying to gauge his reaction, but also to make a point.

"What I'm trying to say is that Scott and Ray worked well together, I was just too well-trained for them." She cocked her head, "Why are you so protective of Ray, Todd and some of the others? You even risked your life for Kyle here."

"Because they're my friends. Because if I think my friends are being mistreated, I'm not just gonna' lie there and let it happen." Tom moaned and hit his head against the tree trunk, "If Ray and Scott made a good team, am _I_ the reason they're fighting?"

"No, they're fighting because Ray has a bad temper and Scott's a jerk." Kyle replied, "But when they need to work together, they can both put that behind them and get things done. We're _all_ a team, we're going to fight, we're going to say stupid things and want to rip each other's guts out, but we have to put that aside for the sake of ourselves, the team, and everyone we're protecting. A lot of people treat me like some kind of dog because of the way I look and act, but I'm used to it and don't let it get in the way of helping other people. We're here to help protect other mutants, and humans. We don't have to like each other, but we do have to work together."

"We must hang together, or we shall hang separately." Thomas quoted wearily. "I know. But I don't have to like it."

"I'm sure Scott isn't enjoying it much either." Laura noted dryly.

...

After a quick shower, a short, late dinner and a brief chat with Xavier about his anger management issues, Ray was tired. The room was still empty, apparently Thomas was in the woods somewhere, probably on the phone with a lawyer trying to find a way to destroy Scott's life. Ray knew that he tended to overreact, but Tom tended to explode, he was surprised Scott hadn't been bitten...

He stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed. Within moments of his head touching the pillow he was out.

...

"Tell me, Professor, who had the brilliant idea of installing a freaking _self-destruct program_ inside a _school_? A school that could literally lock down every exit and prevent the kids from escaping?"

"You're changing the subject, Mr. Salmons. This is about your anger issues. Besides, I've already told you, we no longer have that program installed."

"No, you just have a defensive system that could cut us to ribbons if we had to evacuate in the middle of the night..."

Xavier's usually passive face was growing stern. He was well aware of his... _Mistakes_... With the former security system and how his self-destruct program worked perfectly into the enemy's hands and nearly killed most of his students. He did not need a reminder, nor did he need an unruly student implying that he was a reckless imbecile.

"Be that as it may..."

"You can program all of this wondrous alien technology to create solid holograms of any enemy you wish, but you can't program the lasers on the front lawn to tell students from sentinels?"

"ENOUGH!" Xavier slammed his hand onto his desk. Thomas paused, surprised at his aggressive reaction, "This is not about my shortcomings! This is about your obsessive hatred of Scott Summers and your fixation on protecting everyone you consider a friend, whether they need it or not! You don't think Ray can stand up for himself? Or Todd? Or any of the others? They're stronger than you think... They're stronger than you. They don't _need_ your protection!"

There was silence for a moment as both realized the gravity of what had been said.

"So... I really serve no purpose here, Mr. Xavier? I guess I'm this year's Toad, are you going to 'test' me like you tested him? Try to run me off?"

"Thomas, you know that's not what I -"

"_SHUT IT!_ You are probably the WORST leader I could possibly follow! It's like you _want_ these kids to die!" He slammed his own fist on Xavier's desk, "Am I supposed to trust a man who put a live bomb under his own school? The only difference between you and Magneto is rhetoric! You both train kids to fight and die for your dreams! I may be useless, but you have blood on your hands, just like Magneto! Take a good, long look at your own 'Messianic' self, Xavier! Can you honestly say you're _better_ than Magneto?"

Xavier buried his head in his hands wearily, "Thomas. I'm not a god. I'm not a Messiah. I'm just an imperfect man with a dream of peace between humans and mutants. Yes, I've made mistakes. I've made decisions that have proven harmful to my students. I cannot give you, or anyone, perfection." There was a look in his eyes, a look that betrayed his age, "Have I been a fool? Yes. I should never have built a self-destruct system into my school. I cannot change the past, no matter how much I wish too. But we have to learn from our mistakes, especially ones so grave. How do you think I felt when I learned that the school had been destroyed, that my students, my wards, had to fight for their lives, injured, disoriented and terrified? Without Ray and the help of The Morlocks they would have been captured, or worse..." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This was going badly, very, _very_ badly. He had lost his temper in a most unseemly and potentially psychologically damaging display with a very emotionally fragile student. If Thomas left the school, or worse, turned against them, it would place him in far more danger. He'd likely be unable to survive without The X-Men's help.

And he'd just implied that the boy was useless to them. To his friends.

"You do serve a purpose here, Thomas. You help when you can. You keep up the spirits of other students, you helped bring Simon here, and we would have Hellcow now if it were not for the interference of those protesters. You possess a great deal of historical, archaeological and arcane knowledge that none of the others possess. You are a good friend, a valued member of this team, of this family."

Thomas' green eyes narrowed. He felt the intrusion, the subtle shifting in his thoughts.

Xavier was screwing with his mind!

He hissed, outraged, "You can't do this! You have no right!"

"I have to do what's best for us, for _you_." Xavier said smoothly, easily overcoming the boy's mental defenses, "This won't hurt a bit."

...

Thomas shook his head groggily.

"As you can see, it's best for us to work together." Xavier smiled, "You're tired. Why don't you return to your room and get some rest? You've had a long day."

"Yeah..." It seemed like something important was missing. Something like a song, right on the tip of his tongue, but frustratingly elusive. He stood and put his hand on the doorknob.

"And don't worry about the security system, Hank is working the bugs out as we speak."

"Good, I'd hate to see my friends fried because they broke curfew."

"And remember, you are a valuable member of our family. We all appreciate you, even Scott, in his own way."

After Thomas left Xavier rubbed his eyes in frustration. This wasn't the first time he'd had to 'readjust' a student's thinking, and he knew it wouldn't be the last.

_I had no choice. _

_The boy was becoming unstable. _

_Paranoid. _

_This is all for the greater good. _

_For the Dream._

_'The only difference between you and Magneto is rhetoric!'_

_It had to be done._

...

Ray was already asleep when Thomas came in, and he didn't want to bother him. He undressed and crawled into his own bed, placing the dark sleep mask over his eyes. He hadn't seen Scott anywhere, which was fortunate for both of them, as he was still mad as Hell. He'd told Xavier exactly how he felt, as if lying to a telepath would work. Kyle and his girlfriend-who-is-not-to-be-named-lest-she-show-up-and-eviscerate-him had been right about working as a team, though.

Logan and Scott didn't like each other, either, but they worked together.

Sometimes.

Two more stubborn Alphas trying to lead the pack.

Ray was an Alpha too. He was more than capable of taking care of himself and a team. He'd proven that after the explosion.

_The explosion..._

The thought left him quickly... A little _too_ quickly.

Ray certainly didn't need (or want) Thomas' protection.

Thomas was, at most, a Beta, like Kyle or Todd.

That didn't bother him. He didn't like the idea of even more responsibility.

But still, something nagged at him, he just couldn't quite capture it...

If he couldn't remember, then it probably wasn't anything important.

Finally, he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

_..._

To be continued...

Notes:

_Headstrong_ by Trapt, I thought it fit Berzerker.

I can't think of a song that fits Thomas. He's just so unstable at times.

X-23 fought Ray, Rogue and Scott in the episode _X-23_.

Rogue no longer lives at the Institute, she lives with Destiny.

And what kind of a fool programs a self-destruct sequence into a school? Charles Francis Xavier, apparently.

Dark! Xavier. You don't honestly think all those rowdy teenagers became good little soldiers without a bit of mental prodding, do you? Dissent in the ranks could lead to disaster, and Xavier makes sure that doesn't happen, even if he has to use unethical means to keep the kids in line.

Too bad he's an idiot.


	60. Chapter 60

Snakehead

60

...

Thomas woke to find Ray already awake, dressed, and sitting on his bed.

_Hey, what's up?_ He signed.

"I'm alright. I just wanted to see how you're doing." Ray said, "Are you still angry?"

Thomas affixed the vocal projector onto his throat, "Yeah. But not as much I was yesterday. I just have this weird feeling, like I forgot something..."

"That happens to me sometimes, too. I'm not as angry as I thought I'd be, either." He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, "Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that I spent most of yesterday afternoon beating the Hell out of Scott Summers over and over again in The Danger Room."

"That must have been cathartic." Thomas pulled himself out of bed and grabbed a change of clothes, heading to the bathroom for a quick shower.

"It was embarrassing. I totally lost control. Even though he provoked me..." He sighed loudly, and Thomas stopped in his tracks, "I mean, I _really_ lost it. I could have killed him." He balled his fists in frustration, "I trained for the last two years to control my temper... And, well... You were there."

"Yeah, I was." Thomas sat back on his bed, facing the floor, "It was my fault. I should have thought of contacting your family sooner, requested more time from Xavier. I knew you were from New York, and I didn't even think about it."

"This wasn't you're fault. You always blame yourself, when you're not blaming Scott. You have to stop that." Ray smiled, "You helped me get back into contact with my brother and my old friends. Scott just overreacted, that's the way he is. Our 'Fearless Leader', he always acts like the world will end if our boots aren't shined just the way he likes..."

"You don't have to tell me that," Thomas rolled his eyes, "He's my drill sergeant." He rubbed his eyes wearily, "Ray, do you think I'm overprotective? Obsessive? Do I act like a nanny or something, a mother hen?"

Ray considered his words for a moment, "Sometimes you... Well, act like I can't defend myself. You even get mad over things that happened before you came here that I forgave or got over a long time ago. And it's not just me, Todd and the other Brotherhood kids, some of the other students." He paused, "You have a good sense of justice and want people to be treated fairly. That's a good thing, but dwelling on the past will just make you crazy. If you attacked everyone who has ever hurt or offended me, you'd end up taking on the whole school, most of Bayville, The Morlocks and New York City. I've already forgiven most of it, I mean, I'm still angry at the cops for attacking us after the mansion blew up, and I'm angry at Mys-" He paused, "The person who blew up the school in the first place, but I'm not going to hunt them down and beat them senseless. I still can't stand Duncan, but he's not here and as long as he stays away I have no reason to go after him."

Thomas sat silently for a moment. _Again, the mansion. The explosion... Didn't I want to tell Xavier off for putting a bomb under a school full of kids. So why didn't I? What happened last night?.._.

"Wait a minute, _who_ did you just say activated the self-destruct system and nearly killed all of you?"

Ray face-palmed, he was in deep guano now. "I didn't."

"You started to say a name, 'Miss...'" His eyes widened, "_Mystique!_ That blue bitch! I should have killed her when I had the chance!"

He jumped off the bed and looked for all the world like he was going to stalk off in nothing but his briefs, track down Mystique and kill her. Ray grabbed his arm firmly, "NO!" He practically growled, "Believe me, I want to see her punished as much as you do. She nearly killed me and all of my friends, destroyed our home, our things, but killing her won't make it right again!"

Thomas calmed a little, but Ray could still see the turmoil in his eyes. They stood there for a moment as Thomas fought to control his breathing.

Finally, he spoke. It was almost a whisper. "Magneto ordered her to do it, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He did." Ray admitted.

"What the Hell was Xavier thinking when he installed a self-destruct device in a school full of kids? There's nothing here so valuable that it's worth blowing up his own students..." His voice was calm, but cold. His emotions were anything but. He was seething. He'd thought the talk with Xavier had seemed much shorter than the time it had actually taken. Missing time...

"He probably assumed we'd be evacuated before it went off. As for why he put it in, I have no idea. I think it's stupid too, but what do I know?" He looked down at Thomas, and gave a half-smile, "Are you planning on avenging me? I'm not a damsel in distress, you know. I appreciate that you care about me, about all of us, but like I said, what's done is done. Besides, when you're a _Super-Hero_," He puffed out his chest and assumed a ridiculous Superman pose, "Danger is a constant part of our lives, even if we are kids. We've learned to accept that, and hopefully, you will too."

"I... I guess you're right. Life isn't fair, but it's the only life we have, right?" He looked up at Ray, "And I know you're not helpless, any of you. Even Jamie can defend himself better than most adults. It's just, I've never really had friends before. I feel... _Protective_, I guess. I just can't stand the thought of bad things happening to you guys."

"I feel the same way, but I don't dwell on the past. The best way I can help my friends is by being a good teammate and somebody to talk to when they need it, and they feel the same way, even Roberto." He laughed, "Even Scott, in a way, not that he's my first choice for advice or anything..." He nodded at his roommate, "Thomas, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Would you put some pants on..."

...

Thomas was in the shower and Ray was about to go downstairs for breakfast when he heard a knock the door.

"Ray? Tom? It's me, Scott."

Ray frowned at the door for a moment, then walked over to the bathroom door, "Tom, we got company. Be sure to have your clothes on when you come out." He then walked to the door, unlocked it and allowed Scott Summers into the room.

"Tom's in the shower, but he can probably hear us."

"Ray," Scott scratched his head nervously, "You know I'm not good with this kind of thing... But I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that your family time was any less important than anyone else', including mine and Alex'."

Ray took a deep breath, "Yeah. I could have handled it better. I've been trying hard to keep my temper down, but that just... Hit a nerve, you know. I got too angry again, almost went Berzerker on you. I did act like a child, then. Yeah, so, I, uh, forgive you. This time."

Scott arched a brow, "Hopefully there won't be a next time, but knowing how... Driven I am, there probably will be. It's not that I don't care," He threw up his hands, "It's just you guys are my responsibility, I want you to be safe, and I want you to be your best in battle. Unfortunately, I can't seem to leave the battle on the battlefield. I act like we're at war even when you guys are trying to relax. And I try to drag you into it too." He shrugged, "I just can't seem to find the balance between Team Leader and friend."

"That's why we don't hang out." Ray replied half-jokingly, "If you need help loosening up, I think my friends and I can help you."

"You mean Thomas, Bobby and Jubilee? I wouldn't survive that kind of help." Scott smiled as well.

"We can get a bit wild." Ray admitted, "But we don't do anything cruel or dangerous. We don't want anyone to get hurt, either."

At that Thomas emerged from the bathroom, wearing only the tattered jeans he'd bought in New York. His hair was uncombed and still a little wet.

"Tom, Scott here came to apologize." Ray pointed a thumb at said mutant.

Thomas sighed, pulled out some socks and his Doc Martins, "I know. I heard." He held up one of the yellow and black shoes as if examining it, not looking at Scott.

"Tom, I really am sorry."

"X-23 told me about the time she was rampaging through the mansion, and you and Ray had each other's backs. She said you made a good team. I don't want to break that up." He turned towards the two older mutants, "Kyle said that, even though he doesn't get along with some of his teammates, they set it aside for the good of the team, and the people they're trying to protect." He sighed, "Kyle's a lot smarter than people give him credit for." He pulled on his Doc Martins, "I might be able to forgive you for this... But I don't consider you my friend. I don't like you, and I'm sure you feel the same way about me."

"That's not true-"

"I don't know if I'll ever consider you anything more than a drill sergeant, but for the good of the team, I'll do my best to work with you."

"In other words, you'll tolerate my presence?"

"You could say that." Tom didn't bother looking for a shirt, he just slid on his spiked arm band and walked past Ray and a dejected Scott, heading down to the cafeteria.

Ray shook his head, "Well, at least he didn't bite you."

...

Xavier had warned him that Thomas was unlikely to forgive him. Scott Summers knew that it extended far beyond the events of the day before, to things that had happened even before Thomas had learned he was a mutant. His attitude towards The Brotherhood, which in Thomas' eyes, and possibly in reality, had driven them away from the safety of the mansion back into Magneto's arms. He'd even attacked and threatened to kill him when he was badgering Todd and the others. There was so much the boy hated about him, his militant, domineering attitude, his unwillingness to show leniency and difficulty in showing empathy towards the other kids. The angry, foolish rebuke of Ray over his spending time with his brother was simply the last straw.

To Thomas Cyclops was a necessary evil, nothing more. He wanted nothing to do with him outside of training, and even that was not his choice. He'd had problems with kids before, including Ray, but never to the extent of the rancor that Thomas displayed towards him.

It seemed his worst fear had come true.

He had utterly failed a student.

Instead of instilling Xavier's ideals of peace and unity, he'd caused the boy to hate him.

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Both boys sleep in their underwear. I have no idea why, and I wrote it.

If Thomas meets up with Magneto or Mystique again, they're going to get an earful.


	61. Chapter 61

Snakehead

61

As Tom walked into the cafeteria he was greeted by a wolf-whistle, probably from Jubilee or Anole, but he wasn't really paying much attention. He gathered up a few hard-boiled eggs and sat in his usual spot.

"Yo, Dawg! Are you alright?" Todd was already half-way through a plate of pancakes. "And why're you shirtless?"

"I honestly don't know." Thomas replied.

"What do you mean?"

Thomas shrugged, "I don't know if I can forgive Scott, and I'm fairly certain that I'll never call him a friend. Ray was able to forgive him, but I... I just don't like the man. I can't stand to be around him and avoid him whenever I can. That can't be healthy, can it?"

"I think you're askin' the wrong guy. I got no love for Summers either."

"Yeah," He whispered, "But would you consider actually, intentionally _hurting_ him?"

Todd looked a bit shocked, "C'mon. You'd never really do something like that. Scott's a dick, but he's saved all our butts several times, and he can be nice, when he's not on an ego trip, yo."

Thomas sighed, Todd was right. Scott wasn't all bad, he was just a jerk. And he'd thought such terrible things about him. Including violence.

_Why?_

Was something wrong with him?

He felt a bit odd, and suddenly he decided he wasn't hungry anymore.

"I 'm going outside, I'm not hungry. Sorry Todd, I just feel weird."

As he headed back to his room to change into his swim trunks, he passed Ray and Scott walking to the cafeteria.

"You finished quick."

"I'm just not hungry right now, Ray."

"I'm going out to the pool to get sun."

"I may join you after I eat." Ray said. "I could use some sun myself."

Thomas had no idea what to say to Scott, so he said nothing as he passed, merely nodding in his direction.

...

Mystique was checking over the latest additions to the security system when Emma Frost entered the room, a grave look on her pale, lovely face.

"Emma?"

"Raven. I hate to have to tell you this, but I'd advise against going to Xavier's mansion for the time being."

"Why? What's happened?"

"Thomas Salmons has made up his mind to kill you, Kurt's mother or not."

Mystique laughed, "Why would he want to kill me? I haven't so much as seen any members of The Brotherhood since I left that tin-plated lunatic Erik. What reason could he possibly-"

"You blew up Xavier's school, remember? Thomas is extremely unstable and dangerously protective of his friends, and you harmed them. You tried to kill them all, and almost succeeded."

Mystique pondered this for a moment. Blowing up a school full of children was not exactly her proudest moment, even if no one had been killed. But that had been years ago, why wait until now to seek revenge?

"Because he only just now learned that you and Magneto were responsible." Emma answered the unspoken question, "He thought it was some anti-mutant hate group. Now that he knows the truth, he wants you dead. He doesn't care that you're Kurt's mother, he doesn't even care that you are The Black Queen of The Hellfire Club. He only cares that you tried to kill his friends. If he sees you, or Magneto, in his current mental state, he will do everything in his power to kill you."

Mystique shook her head, "He's a child. I think I can handle him." She sighed, "Still, I'll avoid him. Why Isn't Xavier doing anything?"

Emma looked mournful, "He's trying. Salmons turned on him, too. Called him a fool for wiring a self-destruct device into the school, said that he was no better than Magneto and that he had blood on his hands. Xavier had to slightly readjust his mind to keep him from becoming violent with him. Thomas Salmons is a good kid, but he's never really had a normal life, never really had friends. He'll do anything to protect them... Or avenge any harm that they've suffered." She gave a small smile, "Right now, the only person really keeping him under control is _Berzerker_. Can you imagine a situation where _Ray Crisp_ is the calm, reasonable one?"

"And he... He was trapped in the school when I set off the self-destruct system... He was nearly killed."

"He's sticking up for you, God knows why, after what you did to him and his team."

Mystique felt a pang of guilt at that, how could this boy forgive, even defend her, after she'd blown up his school and tried to kill him and his friends?

"I think a better question would be 'How could you even consider blowing up a school with kids trapped inside?'" Emma was a cold, hard woman, but she was protective of kids. The very idea of what Mystique had done that terrible day disgusted her.

Raven Darkholme looked at her hands, thinking about how much violence and cruelty she'd committed over her long life. Abandoning her own children, terrorizing The Brotherhood, trying on multiple occasions to murder the children at Xavier's school.

She really was an evil mutant, wasn't she?

Emma placed a hand on her shoulder, "If I believed that you were the same woman now that you were then, I would never have warned you, much less vetted you for the position of Black Queen. You've changed since leaving Magneto and embracing your children. The fact that you feel remorse, that you wish you could undo the awful things you've done, shows that you are not truly a monster."

"That doesn't excuse my actions."

"No, it doesn't." Emma replied, "And you will always feel the guilt of those things, but you're trying to atone for what you did, and most of those involved have forgiven you. We have all done things we are not proud of, myself included. But the best way to deal with it is to stop doing what we know is wrong, try to atone for our actions and forgive ourselves. The hardest part of all is forgiving ourselves, our own hearts are the hardest to win over. You've done everything you can to make things right-"

Mystique shook her head, "No, I haven't. I still owe those children for all that I did to them, all that I put them through. And I don't forget my debts."

...

Thomas lay stretched out in the sun near the pool, Junior hanging out of his mouth to soak up rays, moving about from time to time to avoid embarrassing, snake shaped tan lines.. He hadn't been an 'outside' person before, but he worried that he might have less body heat now that was part reptile.

For the first time today he was truly relaxed, nothing mattered. Not Scott, not Mystique or Magneto or anything.

Suddenly something hard and furry landed on top him. Thomas' eyes snapped open and Junior drew back to strike, only to recoil at the sight of Kurt sitting on his chest.

"That was really stupid, Kurt! I could have bit you!"

A finger poked hard into his chest, "You are stupid if you think I'll let you _murder_ my mother!" Thomas had never heard such a tone in Kurt's voice, it was threatening.

Thomas moved to push the Nightcrawler off, but failed. He had no idea what to say to calm Kurt down, after all, he'd lost his own mother himself.

"After we fought Apocalypse mother was turned into stone. She went off a cliff and shattered into pieces! Anna and I thought she was dead! I will not lose her again! Especially not now, when she is finally coming back into our lives!" He snarled, revealing gleaming fangs, "God help me, but if you hurt her, I _will_ kill you!"

Thomas opened his mouth to speak, but Kurt beat him to it, "You weren't even here when she blew up the school! I know it was awful, but she's repented! God forgives, so who are you to pass sentence on others?" Thomas heartbeat began to accelerate, sharp pain shoot through his fingers and a sense of... Something surged through is entire body. In his rage Kurt had let his grip slacken, allowing Thomas to execute a surprise flip and fling him into the pool.

Thomas stood hissing, his body in an attack pose, his serpentine tongue swaying menacingly. As Kurt looked on in shock his pupils turned to slits like a snake's, and his fingernails grew long and pointed.

"Keep your hands off me you flea-bag! If you try to touch me again-"

Strong arms grabbed him from behind, and he recognized then as belonging to Logan, "What the Hell's gotten into you, Salmons?"

"He attacked me!"

"He threatened to kill my mother!"

"I'll talk to you later, Kurt. Right now," Logan looked at the hissing boy he was restraining, and knew that whatever was happening to him, it wasn't good, "We gotta' get Thomas to Charlie and Hank.

...

"His adrenaline levels are dangerously high. And by 'dangerous', I mean to both himself and others." Hank looked worriedly at the sedated boy on the hospital bed, "I think this explains his heightened aggressiveness of late. Apparently the unexpected encounter with Kurt triggered a further mutation, he thought he was being attacked, and his mind went into an almost feral state. It was also the catalyst for the further physical mutations." He paused thoughtfully, "I wonder how he was able to spend so much time alone with Berzerker? He's not the easiest person to get along with..."

"Because he trusts Ray with his life and considers him his closest friend. And I doubt Ray has ever attacked him... Not that Kurt's motives weren't protective in and of themselves." Xavier replied.

"Fortunately his adrenaline is going down, but it's still at higher than normal levels." Hank noted, "Hopefully, it will return to normal once he is sufficiently calmed. He may be 5'2" and 78 pounds, but with enough adrenaline he'd feel like The Hulk, until his heart exploded..." He paused, "I need to confer with William on this. He may be able to map out any future mutations and, if absolutely necessary to save his life, or ours, suppress them. At the very least, we have to get his adrenaline under control. If worst comes to worst, we may have to remove one or both of the adrenal glands."

...

Ray Crisp, Todd and several others waited anxiously outside the medical lab to hear what exactly had happened to their friend, and why. Several suspected a mental breakdown, as his actions since returning from New York had been so bizarre, but no one really knew anything, except what little Logan and Kurt had told them. Of course, Kurt had been upset over the death threat to his mother, seeing Thomas mutate further (and blaming himself for apparently causing his breakdown), and nearly being attacked by the confused boy.

Ray's eyes widened suddenly, "The wedding! Tom's the best man!" He pulled out his cell and called Richard Salmon's number. He had a hard time calmly explaining what was happening, in part because he didn't really know himself, but Richard got the message. He, his father and Tommy would fly as soon as possible to see what was wrong.

Xavier wheeled out of the lab, "It's alright, everyone. Thomas' unexpected mutation affected his adrenal glands, causing him to become temporarily violent. He should recover, though it would be advisable to avoid placing him under undue stress for the time being."

"Is he awake?" Ray asked.

"Not yet. He should awaken within the hour, if Dr. McCoy judges it safe, you will be allowed to speak to him. I have to warn you, however, that he has _physically _changed, his eyes are now reptilian and he now possesses claws."

...

To be continued...

Who told Kurt that Thomas wanted to kill Mystique? Only Thomas and Ray knew, right? Wrong. They live in a house full of telepaths, and Xavier has been keeping a close watch on Thomas.

Kurt blames himself because he is a kind person and, well, he actually did trigger the mutation.

William is Dr. William Sugarman.


	62. Chapter 62

Snakehead

62

"Is it I.E.D.?"

Hank raised a curious brow, "I assume you're referring to _Intermittent Explosive Disorder_?"

"Yeah." Thomas replied.

"How do you know about I.E.D.?" Hank asked, somewhat surprised.

"I saw it on _Teen Wolf_. Liam Dunbar has it."

"A teenage werewolf with Intermittent Explosive Disorder?" Hank shook his head, "Oh My Stars and Garters! That's a recipe for disaster."

"Poor kid also has PTSD and Night Terrors... Getting attacked by a Wendigo,turning into a werewolf, getting kidnapped, tortured, poisoned with wolfsbane, being nearly killed on several occasions and fighting evil supernatural creatures is hard on a fifteen year old. Sixteen now, I think..."

Hank shook his head sympathetically. "Yes, that sounds like a most unfortunate and tragic situation."

"Yeah, it is."

"Wasn't he also possessed by a demon?"

"No. That was Stiles Stilinski, he was possessed by a sadistic fox Demon named Nogitsune that murdered a number of people, some of them his friends."

"That also sounds incredibly unpleasant..."

Ray walked into the room, smiling, "I guess we were all worried for nothing. We thought you were in danger, and all this time you and Hank have been talking about TV shows?"

"Ray!" Tom smiled broadly, "So, they're letting you see the prisoner?"

"You're not a prisoner, Thomas. You just need time to adjust." Hank smiled, "And we seem to have gotten off topic. You do not have I.E.D., Your sudden mutation, combined with your stress and anxiety, caused a massive surge of adrenaline through your body. We have it back to safe levels, but we'll need to put you on medication for the time being, until we can be sure how we should deal with this properly."

Ray looked at Thomas in suppressed shock. His eyes were bright green with slit pupils, and his nails had grown into sharp claws. Clearly, his mutation was unstable. He was still changing.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurt when it happened. It hurt really bad... I'm just glad I didn't hurt Kurt or Logan. Not that my venom could kill Logan, but it would be agonizing."

"Yeah, Kurt's worried about you. We all are."

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for."

Thomas held up his hands, examining the sharp claws, "I'll have to be careful next time I smack you on the as-" He suddenly remembered there was an adult in the room who didn't approve of swearing, "I mean butt."

Ray blushed slightly, but he couldn't help but chuckle. _That's the Thomas I know._ "Like I said, hands off. That piece of property is reserved for Scaleface."

"I probably don't want to know..." Hank muttered softly.

"Are we..." Thomas turned to Hank, "Is it safe for me to be Ray's roommate."

"We're not certain, yet. But Xavier said that even under the affects of the adrenaline you never even considered attacking Ray. We just have to be certain.' Both boys looked saddened by this, "Of course, we need to keep you here for a few days, for observation. Most likely you'll stay together."

"Oh, I just remembered," Ray spoke up again, "I called your father and Richard, they're coming to make sure you're alright."

Thomas smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Ray. I guess I've got to escape or they'll postpone the wedding. Richard would do that."

"There will be no escaping from medical, young man." Beast said, "You're still under observation. We can't risk it."

Ray shrugged, "Welcome to Alcatraz, buddy. I can't count the number of times I got caught trying to sneak out, and since the new security system was installed, I'm afrai-... I mean, Not _dumb_ enough to risk it."

"Ray." Tom said quietly, "When you see Kurt, tell him not to worry. I never should have threatened his mother's life. I think she should be in jail, but I don't want her dead and I certainly don't want to hurt him."

"I'll tell him, but I'll leave out the 'jail' part. It's true, but he might not want to hear it."

"Yeah, he's mad enough already. I've never seem Kurt like that before. Then again, I threatened to kill his mother..."

Ray held up his hands, "I didn't say anything to him. I didn't even see him until after he attacked you."

"I told him." Xavier rolled into the room, "I've been monitoring you, Thomas, because of your potentially dangerous mood swings. I thought he deserved to know, though I had no idea he would attack you. I told him I'd handle the situation myself..."

"I lost my mother, she's dead." Thomas said sadly, "If I she were alive and _anyone_ had threatened her, I would have done far worse."

"Still, he should not have reacted with violence. He's an X-Man, I've trained him for five years to use violence only when necessary, regardless of provocation."

"I threatened to kill his mother. You have to admit, that's one Hell of a provocation."

...

About two hours later a black sedan pulled into the mansion driveway, and Marcus and Richard Salmons emerged, along with Richard's beautiful fiancee, Tommy.

Beast met them at the door and led them to medical, explaining the situation as they went. They arrived to find Ray standing by the door to Thomas' 'hospital' room, looking a bit tired.

Marcus Salmons stepped forward and shook Ray's hand, "Thank you for calling. I only got Xavier's message as we were coming in to land. It's good to know someone is looking out for my son."

"Thank you, sir. That's just what friends do." He turned toward the inner medical room where Thomas was resting, "Perhaps I should go..."

"Why? You're practically family. Besides, Tom likes having you around."

Marcus and Richard Salmons were momentarily stunned at the sight of Thomas lying in the medical bed, his eyes glistening and reptilian, his fingers tipped with claws. The Richard broke the unnerving silence.

"So, I heard you threatened to kill somebody again..."

Thomas laughed, followed by Richard and Ray.

"Yeah, it's becoming a theme with me, isn't it?"

Richard shook his head, "Like a broken record. What was it about this time?"

"The creeps who blew up the school and the idiot headmaster who put in the self-destruct system in the first place."

Ray was shocked. Not surprised, but shocked that Thomas would openly refer to Professor Xavier as an idiot.

"Don't tell me you threatened to kill Xavier..." Marcus said in horror.

"No. No I didn't. I did threaten to kill Mystique and Magneto. Mystique set off the bomb and Magneto ordered it. Even if I can't kill them, I don't think I can ever forgive them." He closed his eyes, "And I have a personal beef, several personal beefs, with Magneto, starting with his deliberately sending mobs of anti-mutant scum after all of us, including you and Tommy. Where is Tommy, by the way?"

"She's waiting just outside, talking to some of the others. She wanted to make sure you were presentable."

He smiled rakishly, "Presentable, maybe. Decent? Never."

Richard grinned, "Didn't you try to kill Mystique already? And I have a feeling you'd be helpless against Magneto, unless you can chew through his armor..."

"Who knows? By the next mutation, I may very well be able to chew through Bucket-Head's armor. Maybe even Iron Pig's..."

Everyone in the room secretly hoped that there would be no more mutations on Thomas' part, considering how they affected him mentally and physically.

"If I end up as a swarm of snakes taking humanoid form like Colony Sarff on _Doctor Who_... I don't know what I'll do."

"That's not likely to happen." Ray said, "A nest of natural snakes might mutate in such a way, but not a human mutant." He grinned cheekily, "But it's better than ending up like Davros."

"True." He stretched his arms above his head casually, "Maybe I'll become a weresnake."

Marcus shook his head in amazement, How was Thomas taking this so well? Or was he merely joking out of sheer terror? Was he joking at all?

"Of course, your average weresnake is usually Chaotic Evil. I think I'm around Chaotic Neutral now, what with being amoral and threatening to kill people and everything... Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, even in D&amp;D, there are even Good Illithids! And _friendly Elves!_ Okay, maybe 'friendly' is a bit of an exaggeration. I could end a Yuan-Ti..."

"I thought you wanted to be a Troll?" Richard said lightly.

"Yeah, that too."

"You have a weird sense of humor."

"That's what makes me so lovable." Thomas grinned broadly.

...

A few minutes later,

"My vision is fine, but I can't pass for human anymore." Thomas stated, "I could pull a Cyclops and wear shades around town, but where's the fun in that?"

"Safety is more important than fun."

"You're starting to sound like Scott, dad."

"Just what kind of happy pills do they have you on, little brother?"

Thomas began to hum _Comfortably Numb_, smirking a bit as he did so.

"Well, at least it not _Dark Side of The Moon_." Ray quipped.

"Actually, I'm not on anything. All of this fluctuating adrenaline has me a bit confused."

"Alright, we'll let you rest." Marcus said, "For now I have a bone to pick with Xavier."

...

To be continued...

Notes-

Liam Dunbar is a character on MTV's show _Teen Wolf_, he was bitten by the main character, (to save him from falling to his death,) and he's the pack Beta. He has I.E.D. and the other medical conditions I mentioned. I don't know his exact age but he was 15 when he was bitten. He's played by Dylan Sprayberry.

Stiles Stilinski is played by Dylan O'Brien. He's the show's token human and most of the fans are in love with him. He reminds me of Connie Springer from _Attack on Titan_, he even looks like him! Of course, he's a lot taller than Connie...

I.E.D. causes sudden bursts of rage, which can end in violence. It can be treated with medication, but Liam doesn't take his meds because they affect his skill at playing lacrosse. I apologize to anyone with I.E.D. if I got the details wrong, all I know I learn from TV and Internet

Does Ray watch _Teen Wolf_? Probably, but I doubt he'd admit it. He'd say it was a soap opera for horny teenage girls and gay guys.

Colony Sarff is a gestalt being made up of a colony of snakes wrapped around one very big snake. He/It/They were played by Jamie Reid-Quarell.

Davros, Creator of The Daleks, should need no introduction.

Yuan-Ti are a typically CE species of serpent-like creatures from D&amp;D, some look almost completely human, others have serpent heads, still others look like snakes with arms, or Nagas or hydras with human arms...

_Comfortably Numb_ and_ Dark Side of The Moon_ are both songs by Pink Floyd. _Comfortably Numb_ is about a drug trip and _Dark Side of The Moon_ is about an insane asylum, I think. Anyway, it's about insanity.


	63. Chapter 63

Snakehead

63

...

Marcus Salmons was livid, "I brought my son here so that he would be safe, looked after. Instead, he's getting worse! Everytime I see him he looks less and less human, and he's getting more violent."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Salmons, there is no way to predict how a mutation will develop. One of our star pupils appeared perfectly 'human' until he suddenly sprouted protruding bones from his body, creating a spiny, horned carapace. That boy is Miss. Munroe's nephew, Evan. Do you think if we could have seen that transformation coming, we would not have attempted to find a way to stop it."

"Surely your geneticists can examine a student's DNA and RNA to 'map out' what will most likely develop?" Richard pointed out.

"It's not that simple. Some mutants, like Thomas, have unstable genetic material that alters itself in sudden and sometimes dramatic ways." Xavier replied. "It is almost impossible to predict."

"How often," Marcus voice was almost a whisper, "Does a mutation become _fatal_?"

"It is extremely rare, but it can happen. However, from what pattern we've observed with Thomas his mutations seem to be purely ophidian in nature. If he becomes exothermic, that could severely limit any cold-weather activities, but it is easily dealt with by simply keeping him warm. We already have a similar situation with Toad, while he is not completely exothermic, he is highly susceptible to cold."

He folded his hands, "We also researched one of your relatives, a mutant named Aaron Salomon."

"Slither?" Richard asked.

"The same. As you know he resembles nothing so much as a walking, talking serpent man. Both he and Thomas possess atavistic reptilian DNA."

"Atavistic?"

"A 'throwback' to a distant genetic ancestor."

"Are you saying my family is descended from snakes?"

"Not snakes, exactly, but an ancient race of non-human, intelligent beings known as The Serpent People."

Marcus took a deep swallow of air, "As in, The Children of Set?"

"You've heard of them?"

"I'm more concerned with Set. He's an Elder Demon. One of the most evil beings in the universe. Not someone I particularly wish to place on my family tree."

"When he gets back from... Wherever he is, I'll ask Dr. Stephen Strange to mystically examine both Thomas and Aaron, to see if they merely have reptilian genes, or Setian ones. If you are related by blood to Set, it might be wise for both of them to keep a low profile. Set has many allies and many more enemies, even in the modern world. They might seek them out for any manner of nefarious purposes."

"Perhaps that was why Varnae killed Ambrose, Varnae was created and empowered by Chthon, Set's brother and one of his enemies."

"What exactly caused this to happen now?"

Xavier sighed, he was afraid this question would arise, "Thomas... Thomas has been on edge ever since he and Ray returned from New York. You see, in the city, they stayed a day over schedule so that Ray could spend time with his younger brother. Scott greeted them as they arrived back and he was, less than understanding of their situation, despite the fact that I had given them permission to go. The conversation became heated and Scott seemed to imply that... _Punctuality_ and following procedure was more important than Ray's brother. Both boys became enraged at this, and Thomas still will not speak to Scott. In fact, he has openly stated that he considers Scott an enemy and has no respect or faith in him as a teacher or as an X-Man. Even after Ray forgave Scott, Thomas could not, because he felt guilt that he had not realized that Ray might want to see his family and left earlier."

Both Salmons men frowned at this.

"So, he's been under that stress." Richard said coldly, "And what else?"

"He," Xavier hesitated for a moment, "He confronted me about the fact that I had authorized the inclusion of the self-destruct device in the previous mansion. He called me a fool, saying that I had planted a bomb under my own students feet and programmed the mansion with the capability of trapping them inside." He rubbed his eyes wearily, "He was right, I had not foreseen that an enemy would be able to use the mansion's defenses against us, nor did I consider creating an escape route for any students trapped inside. You know the rest, they were trapped and nearly killed by the explosion. I tried to explain to him that I, too, make mistakes. He did not want to listen."

Richard snorted derisively, "I can see why. You thought you were protecting these kids by planting a bomb under the school?"

"There was one last factor," Xavier said hastily, trying to change the subject, "Thomas learned, by accident, who had set the self-destruct mechanism and trapped the children, his friends, inside. And he swore to kill her."

"Mystique." Richard muttered, it was a statement, not a question. "Who else is capable of infiltrating your school to it's core? Even your own students aren't safe after dark if they set foot on the grounds-"

"Please, Richard, I am well aware of the faults in my security system and we are working to fix them as soon as possible." Xavier's voice was strained, Richard was sounding like Thomas and Marcus just glared at him in silent scorn. "The actual mutation occurred because of that threat. As you know, one of my students is Mystique's son."

"Kurt Wagner." Richard stated.

"Yes. I had been keeping an eye on Thomas, as he'd began to exhibit more and more rage. I overheard the threat and warned Kurt. I expected him to listen to me and allow me to deal peacefully with the problem, he is one of our most gentle and kind-hearted students. Unfortunately, he did not take it well. He teleported away and aggressively confronted Thomas as he lay sunbathing by the pool. Thomas believed that Kurt was attacking him and his body reacted, causing him to develop these new mutations to defend himself."

Marcus Salmons was crimson with anger, "You intentionally planted a bomb beneath your own school and left no way for your students to escape when it was activated by your enemies, you allow a feral lunatic to teach here when he tried to murder one student and broke my son's arm and ribs, you allowed this fool Summers to tread over his students and teammates and you told Kurt that Thomas had threatened his mother and allowed him to go off and attack my son? 'Idiot' is too mild a phrase for you Xavier, you are an inept, bumbling egomaniac who wants to train his own little army without any thought at all of the consequences of your actions. You are Magneto with a smile and a softer voice." He paused, "I thought sending Thomas here would be best for him. I see that I was wrong."

"With all do respect, Mr. Salmons-"

"Unfortunately, dad, if we take him home now, we won't know how his mutation will fully affect him. He needs the medical treatment this school can provide, if nothing else." Richard said, and Xavier noted a slightly bitter tone to his voice, "And he has made friends here. Friends he cares deeply for and leaving them would cause him even more stress and psychological damage. But, we can try to dictate terms."

"Terms?" Xavier asked.

Marcus voice was stern, authoritarian, "I will send a team of inspectors to this mansion, professionals, to examine it top to bottom and ensure that it is safe for children to live here and not likely to self-destruct again."

"I cannot allow that! Not only is this a school, it is my personal home. And how would I know that none of those inspectors were agents of HYDRA, SHIELD or some other organization that desperately wants to use the advanced technology at our disposal to empower themselves?"

"Then you shall have to prove the safety of this place by personally demonstrating it to Richard and myself. You will keep this imbecile Summers away from my son."

"That would prove difficult as they live in the same house and Scott is his instructor." He held up a hand before they could progress, "Scott deeply and sincerely regrets his harsh words, and he's trying to make it better the best he can. He knows he has a problem, that he is too overbearing, and he's trying to change... Unfortunately, I don't think Thomas is willing to forgive." He folded his hands, "And you do realize that any action you take against this school will affect the students as well. I know that neither of you wishes for these children to be thrown to the wolves..."

"Of course not! We just want to be sure that the people in charge of their lives," He stared Xavier in the eyes, "Are competent and capable of doing so. So far, many of your actions have failed to impress me in your favor, Xavier."

"I did not reinstall a self-destruct device in the new school, so I can assure you that situation will never occur again. You may think me a fool, but I learn from my mistakes. Scott Summers and Logan are instructors here, respected by almost all of the students and have proven themselves to be loyal, reliable men many times, and I will not fire them do to ill-chosen words or unfortunate accidents." His voice grew stern, "You may be wealthy, Mr. Salmons, but as you know so am I. I am not easily intimidated by displays of wealth and power. If you have _reasonable_ suggestions, I will listen to them and try to implement them, but _you_ do not run this school. _I_ do, I own it and fund it from my own inheritance. I will not let you tell me how to run my own school, nor will I allow you to have me replaced as headmaster. For once in your life, Mr. Salmons, your money doesn't mean anything."

"Twice, Xavier." Marcus replied sadly, "Money could not save my wife from the cancer that killed her. The pain she endured. Richard has chosen a highly dangerous profession, and I fear for him at times, but he is a grown man with his own mind. Thomas is a child. I expect nothing less than the best from his teachers and caretakers. I know that to leave here, to leave Ray and the others, would devastate him. And we have no way of understanding his mutation unless I hire trustworthy experts. But if it is necessary to protect him from you, I will not hesitate to bring him home." He looked toward the window, "I researched you and this school a great deal, Xavier. I know that you are the legal guardian of most of these children."

Xavier arched a hairless brow. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Dad, we discussed this," Richard whispered through clenched teeth, "We _can't_ do that. Swallow your pride for once!"

"Mr. Salmons, if you were suggesting what I believe you were, you should listen to Richard." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension, "You are not equipped or qualified to train these children, and few, if any, would agree to leave. If you try to take away my legal custody of these children, then I will be unable to protect them at all from the government. How do you think Mr. Crisp avoided imprisonment after destroying two police cruisers and technically assaulting police officers, even if it was in self-defense and the defense of others? Mutants have little to no chance of fair hearing in a trial, without attorneys like Matt Murdoch and respected legal guardians like myself to speak in their behalf. Ray has no money to speak of, no employment, and his parents hate him for the simple fact that he possesses mutant abilities. With the 'crimes' he committed, he would likely have been sentenced to life in The Cage. But we were able to reason with the authorities and, with the help of the ACLU, have all charges dropped." He shook his head, "I understand the legal issues and discrimination faced by mutants, could you protect them in such a way?"

Marcus paled a bit, "No, I cannot."

Xavier nodded, satisfied at this victory.

"But I know someone who can. Emma Frost and her Hellfire Academy."

"Mystique is an instructor at The Hellfire Academy, if Thomas is so angry towards Scott over one insensitive remark, what do you think he'd do to Mystique, who directly caused the unfortunate incident he is so obsessed with?"

"_Touche_."

"My sincere goal is to train these children to be able to survive in a world that fears and hates them, whether they choose to become X-Men or not. I do not enjoy training children to fight, in fact, I loathe it, just as loathe sending my students into combat. I cannot simply lock them in the mansion and sequester them from the world outside, if I did they would be utterly helpless upon my death. My dream, my greatest, most fervent dream, is that one day we will not have to fight. That one day mutants and humans will live together in peace."

"Somehow, I doubt that day will ever come." Marcus said, "Hatred and fear are embedded too deeply within the human psyche, and mutants are merely humans with greater abilities, but subject to the same emotional weaknesses and flaws. The only difference between an Apocalypse and a Hitler is physical power and technology."

"I have faith that the majority of both our species will embrace one another. Those who hate and kill will be outcasts and criminals, shunned by decent society."

"Since when have bigots cared about decent society?" Richard asked.

"Perhaps we can continue this discussion later, Xavier, I have both a son and a future daughter-in-law to tend too."

"Of course, Mr. Salmons."

As they left, Marcus turned back to Xavier, "You said that Ray had a brother. What's his name?"

Normally Xavier would not give out private information on students or their families, but he recognized Marcus' intentions at once, "Andrew. Andrew Crisp. He's sixteen."

"I wonder what college he'd prefer to attend..."

...

To be continued…

Notes:

Now we see where Thomas got his attitude from.

Marcus intends to see that Andrew gets a scholarship to the college of his choice. Anonymously, of course.


	64. Chapter 64

Snakehead

64

"What's Eddy up to this time?" Ray plopped down in a chair to look at the TV.

Thomas shrugged, "He's trying to scam money for candy from Kevin."

"He's certainly a greedy little guy. But Kevin _is_ a jerk..." Ray scratched his head, "His voice sounds so familiar..."

"His voice actor is Tony Sampson."

"Yeah, Todd told me. He's probably done other stuff, too He was on that _X-Files_ episode we watched about the creepy vegetarian cult ."

Thomas nodded, "_The Red Museum._"

"Right."

"Hey is it just me, or does Prof. Xavier look like a bald Sir Patrick Stewart?"

"No, he really does look like Patrick Stewart. Why'd you call him 'Sir'?

"Because he was knighted." Thomas said nonchalantly.

"Oh..."

"Ray, have you given Scaleface her gift yet?"

"No. I haven't really had time to go see her."

"I want you to take my car and go to her. Maybe take her out, if you want, my treat."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Ray asked in mock anger.

"It's not good to be stuck here with me right now when you can be with Scaleface. I'll be fine."

Ray was quiet for a moment. He really did hate hospital rooms, and Thomas wasn't really sick, just a little..._Different_. It was also clear that he was coming down from his adrenaline high, he was tired. He needed to rest.

"Sure. I'll call her, see if she's available. If she is, I'll probably be gone a while."

"Just be careful of those stupid lasers, if you or my car get shot up, I'm going to dismantle the worthless pieces of junk myself, _and_ the guy who who put them in..."

Ray swallowed hard, that wasn't good. "Don't worry, I'll be home before dark, _mom_."

"You had better be." Thomas said in a matronly tone, "Or you'll get the spanking of your life."

"What is it with you and this spanking fetish?"

"Everybody needs a hobby." Thomas yawned, "Besides, I just need some sleep right now." He adopted a aristocratic British tone, "Tell the servants that I'm not to be disturbed."

"Very good, sir." Ray gave his best impression of a proper British butler, "I suppose you want tea and crumpets, too?"

Thomas laughed, "Go on... Don't keep your girlfriend waiting." He made a shooing motion with his hands, "I've got important sleeping to do."

"Yeah, you need your beauty sleep alright."

"Not all of us can look like Greek Gods, Ray. I prefer to..." He yawned, "Look like a normal, mortal... mutant."

His eyes fluttered closed.

"G'night, John-Boy."

"Shut up."

...

"Just show him to the guestroom. The best guestroom. N'kantu is royalty, after all. And send him my deepest apologies." Marcus paused. Some of the wedding guests were already arriving, they hadn't been able to contact them all about the delay, "Yes, treat him as you would any man of his stature. He may be a mummy, but he is also a king."

Richard was pacing back and forth as Tommy sat nearby, "Hey, Roach. This is Rick. We'll have to hold off on the wedding. Something happened to my brother. Don't worry, he's fine. He just... _Changed _again."

Tommy didn't know Roach well, he was a mercenary and one of Richard's friends. She'd only met him once, he seemed nice enough, for a killer for hire. A small guy with a purple mohawk, he shared her ability to compress his body into an incredibly thin form.

She sighed and put her head in her hands. Everything had to go wrong the day before the wedding. Everything was set up and ready. She really couldn't blame anyone, she'd seen enough spontaneous mutations in her life to know such things were a part of life for mutants. Every mutant experienced it at least once in their life, herself included.

Ray walked into the room, holding the keys to Thomas' _El Camino_ in one hand and a small box in the other. "I think the kick is wearing off. Thomas is pretty tired, it's been a long day. I think he just wants to sleep for now." He was going to say something about Thomas being too tired to sexually harass him, but decided that Marcus might not find that joke amusing. He looked at the keys in his hand, "He said I could borrow his car, to go visit my girlfriend. Do you want to come, Tommy? See the old gang?"

"No... I'd rather stay with Richard right now, but thanks for offering."

Neither Ray nor Tommy were considered official Morlocks, as both had left the tribe for new lives on the surface, something many of their peers either envied or resented. Ray could easily pass for a human, and a very attractive human at that, and Tommy was so beautiful that she'd received several serious offers of a career in modeling. Their looks could take them places many places most mutants could never go, and some loved to remind them of that fact.

"Your girlfriend? You mean Scaleface?" Richard gave a sly look, "Better watch yourself Romeo. You don't want to upset a girl who can turn into a dragon..."

"Don't I know it!"

"You know," Marcus noted, "Thomas is incredibly protective of that car. If he trust you with his car, he trusts you with his life." He put a fatherly arm around Ray's shoulders, having to stand on his toes to do so, "You know, before I met you, I believed a lot of those bad things people say about mutants. Now I know better. You're one of the finest, most trustworthy young men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Ray blushed dark red and Tommy giggled.

"T-Thank you, Mr. Salmons." Ray managed to sputter out.

"Go get her, Tiger." Richard called as he walked toward the garage.

...

"I say we switch his shampoo with _Nair_, yo." Todd grinned cruelly, "I mean, we can't jus' hold him down and shave him..."

The Brotherhood was plotting revenge on a certain fuzzy blue elf for attacking their friend Thomas. As far as they were concerned, this was all his fault.

Lance laced his fingers behind his head, "I think I can convince Kitty to sneak into his bathroom, and make the switch."

"You're going to bribe your girlfriend with your body to pull a prank on Kurt?" Wanda shook her head, "I could just Hex him."

"Hey, it's not just a bribe, it's a win-win situation, except for Fuzzy-Butt, of course."

"You do know that by dating Kitty you're setting yourself up for a lifetime of food-poisoning and nag-induced migraines, right?"

"You're just jealous, Speedy."

"I wonder what Nightcrawler looks like without hair?" Fred pondered the idea, "Maybe like one of those hairless chihuahuas?"

"A naked mole rat!" Todd chimed in.

Everyone laughed at that image.

Well, not everyone.

"He'll look better than you will if you go through with it."

Everyone whipped around to see Logan standing there, arms akimbo, scowling.

"If you guys wanna' be treated like everybody else, you need to respect everybody else."

"Like Night-creeper respected Thomas, yo?"

"That's between them and Xavier. And you guys know that if Tom wanted somethin' done to Kurt, he'd have it done himself." He shook his head, "And Tom did threaten to kill Mystique. She may be a cold, heartless shrew and a terrible mother, but she is Kurt's mother, and for strange reason he loves her and wants to protect her." He sighed loudly, "Now why don't you kids go play outside or something, and I might forget what you said just now."

Everyone but Wanda rushed down the stairs and out the front door. She stared Logan in the eyes for a moment, then turned and went to her room, not intimidated in the least.

...

Marcus Salmons sat beside his son's bed as he slept and Doctors McCoy and Sugarman looked over their incomprehensible charts of genetic material. True to Thomas' nature, he had placed the pillows, and his head, at the foot of the bed.

"Has his skin hardened?" He asked.

"What was that?"

"If my son has razor-sharp claws, is his skin tough enough to not be slashed by them?"

"Fortunately, the claws _are_ retractable," Dr. Sugarman explained, "He just hasn't fully mastered the ability. He actually has two pairs of fingernails, his original, human nails and his claws, when he retracts his claws, he will still have his ordinary nails."

"Thank God for small favors."

"I'd say that's more than a small favor, Mr. Salmons. He will be able to safely interact with others and groom himself without fear of harm."

"Of course." He nodded in agreement, "I just wish this hadn't happened at all. I don't want to get a call one day saying that my son's heart exploded due to excess adrenaline... Thank you, by the way, for treating him so well. This isn't exactly an everyday medical occurrence."

"You're welcome. It's our goal to keep these children as safe, healthy and happy as possible. Self-destruct systems not withstanding."

Marcus almost laughed.

"Seriously, though. That is one feature we have _not_ carried over from the previous school."

"I certainly hope not. If any harm were to come to Thomas or his friends because of such an idiotic choice on the school's part, I'll bring Nick Fury down on Xavier's head."

Sugarman smiled, a rather unnerving sight, "Now I see where Thomas gets his protectiveness from, and his sense of responsibility."

_And his temper._ Hank thought bluntly. _Just what we need, another overprotective, unforgiving hothead. Oh well, I'm the idiot who brought it up..._

...

To be continued...

Notes-

Eddy from _Ed, Edd and Eddy_ is voiced by Tony Sampson, who also voices Berzerker in _X-Men : Evolution_.

Sir Patrick Stewart (he was knighted, hence the 'Sir') Played Charles Xavier in The X-Men films, except _X-Men : First Class_. He also played Captain Jean-Luc Picard on _Star Trek : The Next Generation _and various movies.

Roach (Richie-Bob Guinness) is a minor canon character who appeared a few times in the _Deadpool_ comics. He's a mercenary, but has a sense of honor. I made up his powers because they were never revealed.


	65. Chapter 65

Snakehead

65

...

A secluded area of Bayville Park.

Ray had always considered having fast food take-out on a sheet in the park kind of tacky, but it got them away from prying eyes.

"So, how's Tom doing?" Scaleface asked with a hint of concern. She rather liked the boy, as a friend, of course. He was kind, but definitely was not her type.

Ray grinned, "He's fine. He threatened to spank me if I wasn't back by dark."

Scaleface laughed and swatted his behind, eliciting a sharp yelp, "I hope you told him your body belongs to me."

"Private property, babe. No trespassing." He put his arms around Scaleface's waist and pecked her on the lips, "He did say I had a 'slappable' butt though."

Scaleface giggled, "He's right. But it's _mine_ to slap!" She nestled her head against his muscular chest, "Thank you. For the gift, I mean."

"I wish I could give you the world..."

"I wouldn't want it. Too much trouble." She smiled, "I just want you... And your tight, slappable behind."

"Ah, should I be afraid? I like being able to sit down every once and a while."

She ran a slender hand through his blond hair and sighed, "Like I'd ruin perfection."

Ray chuckled lightly, "I'm surrounded by perverts."

"Poor little lamb lost in a forest full of big, bad wolves." Scaleface said teasingly, "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"My beautiful dragon. You'll keep the wolves away." He nuzzled her hair, "And I'll deal with The Knights in Shining Armor."

"You make it sound like a war."

"Love is a battlefield."

She took him by the collar and pressed their lips together. For a moment they just stood there, sharing a long, slow kiss.

"_Wow_..." Ray said in awe as they parted, touching his lips, "That was amazing." He'd been in several relationships at the school, besides his relationship with Scaleface, but such physical closeness was somewhat rare.

"You're pretty good yourself."

He was too caught up in his tingling lips to remark about being 'only pretty good.' Besides, he was inexperienced, and he knew it.

They were both blushing.

"I'm glad I came to see you. I missed you, and it's been so stressful since I got back."

"So, is your brother as cute as you?"

Ray snorted playfully, "He wishes!" He pulled out his cell phone to show Scaleface pictures of Andrew.

Scaleface whistled, "He is cute..."

Ray mock pouted as she kissed his cheek, "But _I'm_ in love with you."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let him sweep me off my feet. As long as you don't let Thomas sweep you off your feet."

Ray chuckled, "Tom's just a tease. He enjoys making people uncomfortable. He's not even gay. He's just weird."

"Good. He's a nice kid, I'd hate to have to kill him."

"Hey, Scaleface. What do you say we go dancing?"

"Where?"

"A club. There are dance clubs for people under 21."

Scaleface shook her head, "I don't have any I.D., Ray. I gave up my identity as part of the human's culture."

"If it's all ages, you wont need any I.D."

"I can see us dancing in the middle of a swarm of love-struck thirteen year-olds." She smiled gently, "But we can dance here..."

Ray smiled brightly and pulled out his Ipod.

"So you'll be my _Private Dancer_?"

That earned him another, harder slap on the behind.

"Hey!" Ray rubbed his lightly stinging backside, "That was uncalled for."

Scaleface pulled his close and ran her fingers through his hair, kissing him on the lips.

...

"Are you _sure_ restraints aren't necessary?"

Thomas gave his laughing brother the finger.

"You know I'm teasing."

"I know. I'm... I'm sorry about the wedding."

Richard shrugged, "Just a temporary delay, maybe a day or two. It's not your fault."

Thomas laughed, "I knew puberty was difficult, but I never imagined this."

"No one does, until it happens. It's especially funny if it happens to someone who's bigoted against mutants."

Thomas grinned wickedly, "Wake up one morning to find you're one of The Devil's Spawn. I bet your attitude does a pretty quick u-turn when all friends suddenly want to kill you for being different. Of course, some people are so consumed by hate they still believe it. Stryker thought his mutation was a test from God."

"Ah, the late Reverend William Stryker. It's funny how quickly some religious people forget that Jesus taught love, not hate. He even said to love your enemies." Richard shook his head.

"People like Stryker ignore The Bible completely. They use it as a shield, or maybe a curtain, to hide their own wickedness." He sighed, "Of course, I've been big on judging others and taking vengeance, and that's not my place, either."

"That's just your nature. Overprotective. We all are, especially since mom died."

Thomas nodded sadly.

Richard decided to change the subject. He smiled, "You must really trust Ray, lending him your car."

"I trust him with my life. My car's only slightly more valuable."

"I never know when you're serious or you're joking. Your life is worth far more than a 1976 _El Camino_."

"Sometimes, neither do I. But I prefer breathing to the alternative, and cars can be repaired or replaced. And I'd rather the car be sold for scrap than for Ray to be hurt or killed driving it. Or hurt and killed in any fashion..."

"Neither does anyone else, here." Logan was leaning against the door frame, "We don't want anyone gettin' hurt, especially the kids. I'll admit, Xavier, and the rest of us, myself included, have made some stupid mistakes along the way. But if I thought Xavier was intentionally puttin' the kids in danger, I'd kill him myself."

"Thanks. Dad might not trust you, but I know you're a good man."

"I wouldn't call m'self 'good' Rick. It's about honor. I've done some terrible things in the past... Bushido was one of the best things to happen to me. It helped me go from a feral killin' machine to a slightly less feral killin' machine."

"Okay, but you're trying now. You're helping these kids survive and learn to take care of themselves."

Logan nodded, "Yeah, that's somethin' I'm proud of. But t doesn't change the things I did my past, it doesn't undo the pain, for me, or for the poor suckers I killed or their families." He paused and looked Richard in the eye, "You're gonna' feel it too, one day. You'll hear the screams, the gunfire, the begging... All of it. Bein' a merc' is excitin', but it ain't very fulfillin. It ain't worth it, kid. I know, I've been there."

Richard paled visibly. He'd been a mercenary since he left high school, seeking out new challenges, new adventures. But it had a cost, and that cost was sometimes other people's lives. He mainly guarded the rich and famous members of The Hellfire Club, but sometimes he was sent on 'special missions'. He didn't like it, but it was his job. And the guilt, the nightmares had already crept into his mind, his soul.

Logan frowned, "Judging from the look on your face, I'd say you already feel the guilt."

Thomas was speechless, he knew what Richard's job entailed, intellectually, at least, but he'd never thought of the actual act itself. Or the consequences. He hadn't wanted to think of his big brother killing anyone.

"The Club doesn't send us out much anymore. Shinobi Shaw isn't nearly as cutthroat as his father, and you know what happened to Donald Pierce and Selene. I'll ask Miss. Frost to take me off the list and stop taking private clients..." God, did that feel good. Without contracts and missions he'd have more time to spend with Tommy, and if he ever had children, he could tell them what he did at work without having to lie. "But, like you said, that won't change what I've done in the past."

"No, but it might help make the future a little brighter."

...

"You know, dad," Thomas looked a bit shifty, nervous, "I'm not living at home anymore, and I have friends and... Well, I was thinking I'd get a _mohawk_ after the wedding. It's a great hairstyle. Ray had one, even Storm had one!"

Marcus Salmons resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That was the most pathetic attempt at parental manipulation he'd ever seen.

"'Had' being the operative word here. As in, they don't have the anymore. They probably have very good reasons for changing hairstyles. And are you talking about those big mohawks or a shorter one like that soccer player."

"Naymar Jr.? No. It's a good style, but I'm thinking BIG."

Marcus groaned and put his face in his hands, "God, save me from my children."

"Dad, I live with mutants, I AM a mutant. Nobodies going to be scandalized by my haircut..."

"Fine, fine." He threw up his hands, "As long as it's not bright pink. Or any shade of pink."

"I hate pink too, dad. It's too... _Pink._ Like Pepto-Bismol..." Thomas shuddered, "I was thinking reddish-orange.."

"No tattoos, no piercings." He said firmly, "You can fix a haircut, but you can't fix a tattoo."

Thomas shrugged, "All the world's an asylum, and all the people, merely patients."

"The Bard would roll over in his grave..."

...

Tommy was in the garden, looking at various flowers that somehow managed to thrive despite being planted at a boarding school for mutant teenagers. Her iridescent, almost translucent body glittered in the sunlight, a stained glass figure strolling through a garden.

"Beauty can be found anywhere, there are incredibly beautiful flowers that grow from cacti in the deserts of the world."

She turned to see Charles Xavier nearby.

"And diamonds come from coal." She remarked, "Life's funny that way."

"I'm sorry, about your wedding. And Thomas is as well."

"Another few days won't matter, unless we get hit by a comet or Galactus or something." She laughed.

"That's highly unlikely." Xavier chuckled. After a moment's silence, "Tommy, have you ever considered attending this school?"

"No. I'm not X-Woman material."

"We do more than train people to fight Tommy. This school was also built-"

"To explode?"

Xavier frowned, "You've been spending too much time with your future brother-in-law, I see." He sighed, "What I was saying is, this is a school. We teach these children in many areas of study. And, if a student is morally or religiously opposed to the use of violence, we respect that. We won't force anyone to train for combat."

"I'm sorry, but it wouldn't work out. We'll be living in another state when Richard and I get married, and I want us to have as much time together as possible."

"Of course. But know that you are welcome here at any time."

...

"Well," Hank let out a sigh as he looked at the Salmons family, "The results are in. There was definitely a snake in your family tree. Thanks to your and Mr. Salomon's cooperation, however, Dr. Sugarman was able to reconstruct a likely image of your ancestor."

Hank pressed a button on his tablet and a hologram appeared in the air. He was a little over six-feet tall, with greenish-yellow skin and yellow eyes. He stood on two legs like a man, had two arms like a man, was built and shaped like a man, but was covered in scales and his hairless head was that of a serpent. He was nude, but all that could be seen was a protective sheath that covered his serpent-manhood.

"Fascinating creature, isn't it?" Hank admired the hologram, "Humans have always been intolerant. According to ancient texts and legends humans wiped out the Serpent People to gain possession of the earth, and out of fear and hatred. In their defense, the legends do say that they enslaved and devoured humans until a mighty king, Kull, rose up and destroyed them."

"History goes to the victor." Thomas said quietly, looking at his distant ancestor in awe, "Humans kill anything that's different, and always write down stories that make them look good."

"True enough. I find it ironic that humanity overthrew the Serpent People and other Elder Races without mercy, and now, millennia later, they fear that same fate at the hands of mutants.." Hank mused.

All three stepped closer to examine the creature, with different reactions.

Marcus was aghast, "This must never get out. Our family name would be ruined!"

Richard shrugged, "I doubt we're the only family with non-human blood. I doubt anyone is 'pure-blooded' 100% _Homo Sapiens_."

"What kind of woman would have relations with _that_?" Marcus indicated the holographic Serpent Man.

"Not everyone shares the same tastes, Mr. Salmons. Some would consider this creature very attractive. Of course, it is more likely that she did not know that he was a serpent. They are said to have had great hypnotic and magical power, allowing them to appear as anyone they wished."

"I'd like to think that they were in love, despite their differences..." Thomas snapped a few photos on his cell phone.

Marcus just shook his head. "How long ago do you think this happened?"

"Approximately 30,000 years ago. This creature could have lived through the fall of his people's empire and King Kull's attempts to exterminate them. They were said to be nearly immortal."

"That's a long time," Richard stated, "So why would it take until now for the serpent blood to reassert itself? It has to be incredibly thin by now."

" I honestly don't know. Perhaps it has in the past, small scales mistaken for skin conditions or diseases, or even greater traits. The person would have been locked away, out of sight, or killed altogether. There is another, less pleasant theory I have. Set, who spawned the Serpent People, according to legend, is an enemy of Chthon. We have at least one student here whose mutation was directly affected by Chthon's power. Perhaps both Chthon and Set are seeking to make the most of the opportunities presented them by the emergence of powerful mutants. With mutant hybrid offspring, one or the other could conceivably retake the planet, free themselves and recreate the earth in their own image."

Marcus shuddered. "But, my grandfather never wrote of this, and he was a warlock."

"He also tried to summon Varnae, The First Vampire and a direct creation of Chthon. Simply being a mage does not make you truly knowledgeable on the subject, as evidenced by his rather grisly death at the hands of said vampire." Beast replied, "Of course, as the Serpent Men are evidently extinct and vampires continue to exist, he may have thought Chthon stronger."

"So if Tommy and I have a child..." Richard was a bit disturbed now.

Beast gave a reassuring smile, "With every child there is a chance of mutation, especially to a mutant and a man with mutant relatives. That does not automatically make your child a servant of Set or even a Serpent Person, at least, no more so than you."

Thomas reached out and touched a scaly forearm, "Incredible. I hope that some of them still live, humanity has driven far too many species to extinction..." He paused, "He looks a lot like Aaron, but more... _Primal_, somehow."

"Speaking of Mr. Salomon..." Beast began, "He deserves to know the truth of his ancestry, don't you think?"

"He'll tell everyone!" Marcus backed away from the creature.

"We have also arrainged to have him transported here. We have holding facilities for mutant criminals, and he has been fitted with power dampener, so he cannot use his abilities to wrap his arms, legs or neck around an opponent."

"He's a terrorist!"

"We will keep him under constant surveillance and try to rehabilitate him. Every mutant deserves a chance, a choice. That is one of Charles' most enlightened sayings. Besides, our containment cells are very effective. His possibility of escape is unlikely, at best. Especially with the power dampener."

"When does he get here?" Thomas asked.

"In about an hour."

...

"I think it's about time to head back," Scaleface and Ray were laying on their backs in the grass, watching the clouds, "I wouldn't want you to get a spanking..."

"Unless you administer it, right?" Ray grinned broadly, revealing perfect white teeth.

"Absolutely."

"Paddle or bare handed? Or are you into whips?"

"Bare handed is the only way to go. Bare hand on bare bottom."

Ray shot up like a rocket, blushing bright red. He tried to make a witty reply, but nothing came out. Scaleface laughed, "You are so much fun to tease!"

"I-uh-y-yeah... We should probably go back now."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, "God, you're so cute when you're embarrassed."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

Got any cavities yet?

That's as smutty as I'm getting, people.

Kisses and slaps on the behind.

'_Love is a Battlefield_', in addition to being a song by Pat Benatar, is a nod to one of Ray's quote's in UntouchableHexingWitch's excellent, and very smutty, Evo story '_Rebellious Hearts_', where each of the Evo boys in the band say "Love is...", and Ray says that "Love is Sacrifice". A bit of an inside joke between us.

_Private Dancer_ is a song by Tina Turner. It's very sexually themed song, hence Scaleface's reaction.

Naymar da Silva Santos Jr is a famous futbol/soccer player. His mohawk is legendary.

The Serpent People are canon, but in the Mainstream Marvel universe (Earth-616) they are apparently extinct, thanks to Conan of Hyperborea and King Kull of Valusia tracking them down and wiping them out. Kull in particular hated them and vowed to exterminate them completely.

The student whose mutation was affected by Chthon is Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch.

Bushido is The Way of The Samurai. Their code of conduct, their training, their sense of honor. While in Japan, Logan accepted Bushido and trained as a Samurai. He's good with a katana, good enough to best a master, but he tends to use his claws, as he always has them with him, and his enemies rarely have a katana of their own.


	66. Chapter 66

Snakehead

66

...

He was one of the most bizarre mutants most of the students had ever seen. 6'9", totally hairless with green, scale-covered skin, larger scales running down his throat into his orange prison uniform. His eyes were green with slit pupils that darted about defensively. He looked like a snake, a snake given arms and legs. Arms and legs which were chained and manacled, and a collar around his neck that suppressed his mutant abilities. Marcus wondered how that worked, as Aaron's abilities were purely physical. Aaron Saloman could stretch his neck, limbs and possibly even his torso to wrap around and strangle an opponent.

Slither was formidable, by human standards, at least.

"Ssso, you mussst be my long lossst relativesss." Slither came to a stop in front of the Salmons, and saw a teenage boy with eyes almost identical to his own,"Guesss it runsss in he family, right kid?" He was roughly pushed forward by a guard.

"That's not necessary, officer." Xavier said calmly.

"Our job's to get him to his cell, after that, he's your problem, and you're welcome to him."

Slither was led to an open room with a bed, a sink and a small bathroom and shower stall for privacy. There were no bars, energy fields were much more efficient.

As he stepped into the room the shackles and manacles were released, and he turned to charge at the officers, only to be stopped cold by the energy field. The shackles and manacles vanished, as if they had never existed.

Why had they brought him here? He'd heard that one of his distant relatives was a mutant, but the Salomon family had broken off ties with the Salmons generations ago.

"I would welcome you to The Xavier Institute, Aaron, but I feel that would be considered somewhat rude considering your current situation." Xavier looked at him intently. Aaron knew he crush the little man easily, even without his powers.

"_Ssslither_. Call me Ssslither..."

"Of course, Slither. You're wondering why we had you brought here." It was a statement, not a question, "Well, young Thomas here" He motioned to the youngest Salmons, who was looking at him in a strange sort of awe, "Has a reptilian mutation of his own, and we've been doing extensive research to discover why your family DNA contains non-human genetic material."

"Non-human?" Aaron was taken aback by that, "You mean mutant?"

"No. I'm afraid not. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Serpent Men of Set?"

Aaron started laughing. "Ssso you know of them? Then we are all Ssserpents together. Sssalomon and Sssalmons alike! We are equalsss now!"

Marcus cocked a brow while Richard was quickly becoming distracted by thoughts of somehow salvaging the wedding. Thomas was fascinated, Aaron Salomon looked for all the world like a Pre-Cataclysm Serpent Man.

...

Ray had seen the X-Jet fly overhead as he drove toward the mansion. The sun would be setting soon, and while he was fairly certain that Thomas wouldn't go through with his threat of spanking him if he was late, he respected the boy enough to bring his car back on time. He drove past the gate as the aircraft roared overhead once again, heading back in the direction it came.

Since this Slither guy was a convicted terrorist, he didn't doubt that the prison had insisted on some sort of guard until he reached his new home/cell. He didn't fully understand why it was necessary to bring the man here, other than either Xavier's charitable nature or a heavy bribe on the Salmons' family's part. He assumed the former, as Thomas said the two branches of the family had no contact with each other.

While Slither might not be particularly powerfully mutant, his former affiliation with HYDRA was not something to be overlooked. Who knew if their leader, a utterly insane nihilist called Madame Hydra, might suddenly decide to take him back. She hadn't bothered helping him before, but she was the kind of insane that defies any and all logic, she might let an enemy live and shoot her own subordinates within a matter of moments...

Ray wasn't worried, _per se_, as HYDRA was currently in the midst of a war with AIM while trying to keep ISIS away from their Middle Eastern territories. Not to mention being constantly harried by SHIELD. They were stretched thin, and had no reason to come after a low-ranking soldier. The Serpent Society, however, was known for it's loyalty towards its members.

He (carefully) parked between Lance's jeep and Logan's motorcycle. Given the choice, he'd face Logan's wrath for damaging his motorcycle rather than face Thomas after damaging his car. He might be Thomas' closest friend, but after seeing what happened to Duncan and his friends, he didn't want to take the chance with him.

...

"The Sons of the Serpent?" Xavier asked, fascinated.

"It'sss a cult of Ssset worssshipers. Trying to bring about hisss sssecond coming."

"I gather it would not be heralded by angels with trumpets?" Hank asked dryly.

"It would be the end of humanity asss a dominant ssspecies. Cattle, food for Ssset and hisss chosssen people. Ssset wanted hisss Ssserpent Men to rule the earth, but Gaia favored mammalsss... Ssshe destroyed his dinosssaursss to make way for her chosssen, humansss."

Thomas smiled grimly, "I think she was a bit excessive in that. Just about every child in the world loves dinosaurs and wishes they still lived, at a safe distance, of course."

Slither could not help but notice that the boy's mouth did not move as he spoke, but the slender collar around his neck vibrated in time with the words. "Are the eyesss your only mutation?"

Thomas extended his claws and opened his jaws, allowing Junior to slither out and flick his tongue curiously at Aaron. He hovered there, watching the larger, humanoid snake in a strange fascination.

"Very cool." Slither offered. He really was impressed, he had never seen such a mutation before. He knew of mutants with incredibly long tongues, or tongues with shard, piercing barbs, but nothing like this.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go." Richard looked at his watch, "Tommy is waiting for me, and we need to discuss what to do about... The situation." He nodded at Aaron, "Nice to meet you, Slither. Sorry I have to rush off."

"You are excusssed," Slither said mockingly as Richard turned to Thomas, "I'll be nearby if you need me, just call."

"I will."

"Hey, look who's out of bed," A tall, muscular blond boy with a shock of orange hair in his stylized bangs walked into the room, "I'm back before dark, as promised, and your car is fine." He looked at Slither for a moment in surprise, but quickly recovered.

"How's Scaleface, Ray?"

"Fine. We had a great time. She wanted me to tell you that my body is her private property." Ray smiled, "You must be Slither, nice to meet you. I'm Ray Crisp. Also known as Berzerker." He almost extended a hand, but realized the other was behind an energy screen and smiled awkwardly, pulling his nand back.. He handed a set of keys to Thomas.

Slither looked at the boy curiously, he was a mutant, of course, presumably a student, though he was past the awkward stages of adolescence. He seemed to be friends with Thomas. And what did he mean...

"What do you mean, out of bed?" He asked.

"Thomas experienced an unexpected mutation recently that left him exhausted. Specifically his eyes and claws." Xavier replied, "He is still recovering."

"I wasss born looking like thisss." Aaron replied, "I am grateful that my parentsss did not try to drown me at birth."

"I'm glad you have a family who loves you," Ray responded, "My parents hate me."

"I never sssaid they loved me, only that they did not drown me at birth."

Ray looked down, "Oh, sorry..."

"Why? Thisss form isss perfect for me. You ssshould never be sssorry for being a mutant, or isss it Ssserpent Man for me, now?"

"It's both, you have all the characteristics of an original Serpent Man, you're mutation is your inhuman flexibility and ability to stretch your body like a green Richard Reed. And you didn't even have t go to space and be exposed to cosmic radiation."

"Good, I hate flying."

"We'll see about getting you some more clothes, there is no need here for you to wear a prison jumpsuit." Xavier added, "And that was a very enlightened remark about accepting one's nature."

"What about exercissse?"

"You will access to our gym, after school hours and under the supervision of at least one instructor, if you wish to exercise. You will also have access to a television and limited internet access."

"What'sss to keep me from essscaping and murdering sssomeone?"

"You will be monitored telepathically at all times," He held up his hands, not deeply, 'Just surface impressions, to make sure you do not intend violence. I have already scanned your mind, you wouldn't harm these children, you have too much honor for that. Though you think, correctly, that you could kill me without my powers. I would strongly urge you not to attempt it, as many of our students and staff are not as dedicated to non-violence as I am, and will use lethal force if truly provoked." He smiled, "I know that all you really want is to better the lot of mutants, though we disagree on methods and on your idea of mutant superiority over humanity."

...

Kurt screamed as he looked down at his naked body.

Orange. He was freaking ORANGE!

He quickly wrapped a towel around himself as he heard someone breaking through the door, probably figuring he'd been murdered in the shower.

"KURT!"

It's was Logan's voice.

The door to the bathroom opened and Logan stood there in shock, looking at the dripping, orange-furred mutant. There were still a few spots of blue scattered about, but he was mainly bright orange.

A very familiar orange.

"What's happened to me!?"

Logan sniffed, trying not to laugh, "Looks like somebody switched yer shampoo with Ray's hair dye."

Kurt's face relaxed a bit, "Thank God! I thought I'd mutated again!" He frowned, "Who would do this?"

"It wasn't Ray, he's been gone all day, and before that he was with Thomas in the infirmary." He couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "The Brotherhood. I caught them plotting to switch Nair for your shampoo. I thought I scared them off. I guess not."

"How long will I look like this?"

"You'd have to ask Ray, I don't know." He thought for a moment, "It might be a good idea to try and wash off as much as you can while it's still wet."

Kurt jumped back into the shower, throwing his towel over over the curtain as soon as he was out of view and began scrubbing furiously.

...

Ray was torn between anger that someone had broken into their room, been in their bathroom and stole his hair dye, and admiring the sheer audacity and creativity of the prank. Thomas had no such compulsions, he was laughing his butt off at Kurt's expense.

"Well, it's semi-permanent dye. I only use a little, and it lasts about a month per treatment. It looks to me like you used the whole bottle." He managed, trying hard not to join his roommate in wild laughter, which he certainly would after Kurt left, "It kinda looks good..." He snickered, then lost it, doubling over laughing at the poor fuzzy orange elf.

Kurt, of course, didn't find it funny at all.

"What do you get when you combine orange and blue?" He demanded.

"Orange and blue combine to form brown, I'm afraid." Hank pushed up his glasses, "The only reason you're not yet brown is that it has yet to fully set into your hair follicles."

"Brown! I'll look like Bigfoot!"

"Not really," Hank began "Bigfoot has a much larger build and different body type. And the shape of the cranium is..."

"How do I get rid of it!?"

"There are several products on the market to remove hair dye, but as your natural hair color is blue, it might be difficult to find one that won't render you platinum blond." Ray smiled at the thought of a platinum blond Nightcrawler.

"Platinum blond is an awesome color." Thomas was trying to get a hold of himself, "It's very punk culture. Like Billy Idol."

"I don't want to look like a punk!"

"We better check all of our bottles Ray, no telling what surprise those idiots might have left for us." Tom turned to Kurt, "So, are you orange all over? Even your-"

"Tom!" Hank said sharply, "Let's not discuss that."

...

Slither could hear laughter down the hall, but couldn't make out what it was about. He doubted it was about himself, but he was still curious. He would have to ask when they came back. For now he just wanted to lie on his surprisingly comfortable bed and relax. Soon he was drifting off to sleep.

He dreamt of snakes.

...

To be continued...

Slither first appeared in Marvel comics as a member of the 2nd Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but Magneto threw them away after one storyline. He's been with HYDRA, The Serpent Society and The Fangs. His venom was used by Madame Hydra to create a virus which mutated much of Washington D.C. into near-mindless Serpent Men, including the President and First Lady (This was during the Reagan administration, comics Slither goes way back to at least the '80's.) Of course, this was reversed,but I think most politicians are still suffering some of the side effects, decreased intelligence and heightened aggression.

He mainly fights the likes of Captain America and The Avengers.

Slither is 6'9" and 210 pounds.

How old is Aaron? Early to mid-twenties here.

And yes, he does speak like _thisss_.

Yes, Bigfoot _is_ real. Deal with it.

Billy Idol is one of the most important punk rockers from the 1980's.


	67. Chapter 67

Snakehead

Chapter 67

...

"That is awesome! I wonder if I have any snakes in my family tree?" Ray was looking over the life-sized holographic replica of the Salmons family's ancient ophidian ancestor, "And he does look like Slither, the color is slightly different, and I don't know if he has a..." Ray blushed, "Sheath, neither do I want to find out, but the resemblance is incredible."

"I can see his scaly butt, yo!" Todd cackled.

"We've all seen your's Toad." Ray said, "Though some of us would like to forget." He scratched his head, "Still, Hank could have programmed him with underwear or something."

"I wonder what this makes people like Aaron and me. Or The Serpent People, for that matter. They are called The Children of Set, or The Sons of Set. Were they born directly from Set? Did he accelerate some kind of serpentine evolution? Or did he just make them from whatever was lying around?" Thomas reached out and touched the softer scales on the abdomen, "I'd rather not be a blood-relation with a demon of any kind. Are their souls bound to him? Or can they find other places of rest if they choose a different path?"

"Kurt's father is Azazel, and he doesn't seem Hell-bound or anything. And he certainly doesn't act like his father, what little I know about him." Ray looked over the impressive musculature of the creature, "I doubt God would it against you if your great-grandfather times several million was a demon. Set isn't even a Biblical demon, he's a different kind entirely."

"He's not a fallen angel, true, but he's worse, in a way, he's a fallen god. He and his brethren were Elder Gods of earth, but Set wanted more power, so he began murdering his siblings to steal their power. He was the first murderer, the first demon on earth."

"Don't worry too much about it. None of us can choose our relatives."

"What about Toad gods, yo?" Todd was literally hanging upside down, crouched on the ceiling.

"Besides Heqet, there is an ancient Toad god, Tsathoggua, who came from the stars with his children, some of whom, like Zvilpoggua, became worshiped in their own right. Tsathoggua is said to lurk in The Black Gulf of N'kai, deep beneath the earth's surface where his monstrous worshipers bring him blood sacrifices to sate his hunger. He is said to have great wisdom, but is so lazy that he will not move from his place to take sacrifices that have escaped his clutches by only a few yards. If given a worthy enough sacrifice, he is supposed to be a gracious host."

"Until he gets hungry again, right?"

"It would be unwise to wait that long in his presence."

"So, what do you call a non-human_ terrestrial_ race? I mean, people like Serpent People, Werewolves, Sasquatch, Lava Men... They're native to earth, but they're not human or mutant."

"Terrestrial humanoids would be my best guess. Werewolves and Lava Men are not natural creatures, Werewolves are cursed and Lava Men were created by a demoness as her servants. There was an Elder Race called The Wolf Men of Lemuria, I don't know if they were related to The Wolf Demon or the curse, but humans wiped them out, too. Humans are very efficient at genocide. Of course, there are non-humanoid terrestrial natives, I've read stories of a race closely related to the Serpent People, the Man-Serpents. They were long snake-like creatures with Gorgon's heads, except they were gold and beautiful. Most of them were wiped out, too, the rest fled into the earth and have not been seen since the days of Conan of Cimmeria."

Ray scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I don't wonder that humans fear us. If they knew about what humanity did to their predecessors, they'd really try to finish us."

...

Wanda Maximoff opened the door to her and her brother's room to find an angry Logan on the other side.

She just raised an eyebrow, "What is it now?"

"Someone switched Kurt's shampoo with Ray's hair dye."

She smiled slightly, "Orange or blond? I always wondered if Ray was a natural blond..."

"He is. It was orange dye."

"And you think I had something to do with it?"

"I doubt it. Your scent wasn't in either room. But your brother's was."

Wanda sighed, "That idiot is going to get himself killed sooner or later, and by the look on your face, I'd say sooner. I haven't seen him in hours. Or any of the others except Toad. After sexually harassing me and getting slapped twice he said he was going to see Thomas."

"Thanks. Sorry to bother you." Logan walked off as Wanda tried not to laugh at the image of an orange Nightcrawler.

...

Logan was in a bind. Lance's jeep was gone, as were most of The Brotherhood boys. He couldn't lean on Toad because Toad was with Thomas who really didn't need the stress and might go ballistic on him. He wasn't afraid of a scrawny fifteen year old boy, but he was afraid what the anger and exertion might do to said boy. So he had to wait for Toad to come out or Lance and the others to come back.

He knew Kitty wasn't involved, her scent wasn't in Ray's room, and she visited Kurt all the time. He wondered for probably the millionth time what Kitty saw in Lance. If she wanted a bad boy the school had several. Of course, Ray was already taken, and Quentin was a narcissistic little twit, not that Lance's personality flaws deterred her, there was Bobby, when he wasn't taking his clothes off in front of perverts for money, (God, when the Drakes found out about that!), Jamie was underage, Thomas was more than a handful, but his sexuality was questionable, he was emotionally unstable and poisonous, literally, Glob Herman, though Logan was open towards other mutants, a boy with transparent skin and visible organs and skeleton who walked around the school naked didn't seem like the kind of boy a girl would want, but he'd been wrong many times before... Why couldn't she pick a nice, good boy, like Sam, Simon or Kurt. God knows she spent enough time with Blue-Boy to date him.

Logan figured he was well over a hundred years old, but even if he lived forever he'd never figure out women.

...

"You were laughing about hair dye?"

Todd's grin was wider than his face, "You should have seen Fuzzy-Butt! He looked like a squash, yo!"

"Hair dye isss not sssomething I need." Slither looked at Ray's hair for a moment, "You would not know ssspecificsss, but hasss Xavier sssaid how long he will keep me here?"

"No. He hasn't." Thomas replied, "He wants to try to reform you."

Slither let out a hissing laugh. "Ssso I am forgotten until a Sssalmonsss joinsss hiss team..."

"The world is filled with mutants, one small school can only do so much." Ray replied, "And this place is mainly for kids to learn, not to keep prisoners. If he is successful, he hopes that some of his students will start new schools and facilities, including programs for inmates or ex-convicts."

"Do you honessstly believe humanity will allow that?"

The three boys looked at each other in an expression that all but answered Slither's question for him.

"Whatever happens, whatever humanity thinks of us," Ray said, "We won't stoop to the level of our enemies."

"Sssometimes, you have to ssslither on your belly through the muck and filth to sssurvive."

Ray nodded in agreement, "Yes, I know. And we do fight. But we don't attack, we don't provoke, and we do everything we can not to kill."

"The Ssserpent Men tried to live among humansss, hide in their formsss. Now there are no Ssserpent Men." He pointed to the holographic projector that held the image of his and Thomas' distant ancestor, "They were all but immortal, he might even be alive today, but he probably died at the handsss of humansss long ago."

"It would be a lonely existence, watching your family family grow old and die generation after generation after generation." Thomas looked down at the device, "Maybe he is still alive, somewhere. If he is, I'd like to meet him some day."

"Asss would I. He could tell us of how the humansss dessstroyed hisss race, and why we need to fight to sssurvive."

"Mutants would either be slightly less inferior apes or severely degraded reptiles in their eyes, that is, those who still want to restore their empire, those who still hate humanity. We'd be slaves or food as well, most likely. Those of us like you and I, Aaron, would be freaks, displayed in zoos and collections as examples of how The Blood of Serpents has thinned and become tainted with humanity since their glory days."

"Posssibly. But they are all either dead or hidden where no one will find them. I only meant that they could demonssstrate humanities'ss cruelty and intolerance, their capacity for wholesssale genocide."

"I think between The Nazis, The Khmer Rouge and all the other genocidal scum that have walked the earth in recent memory, most people are only too aware of what humans are capable of." Ray shook his head, "If we are the next race, the new humanity, we should learn from their mistakes. Earth is half-dead from pollution and human destruction, millions of people murder each other every day, God only knows how many starve to death... If we are to start again, we should at lest try to be better than that."

"But we're not." Thomas said sadly, "Apocalypse, Magneto and many others have proven that mutants can be just as cruel, hateful and evil as anyone else. As long as people are capable of cruelty, jealousy, hatred, selfishness and prejudice, we won't have a better world, we'll just have different names for old evils."

"I know." Ray said, "Believe me, I know. But we at least can try to change ourselves, and try to convince others to change. That's all we can do. We can't save the world, but we can help whatever part of it we can survive."

...

To be continued...

Notes-

Ray seemed to be channeling Xavier for a minute there, if a slightly less optimistic version. And yes, Ray is a natural blond.

Tsathoggua, The Sleeper of N'kai, was created by Clark Ashton-Smith as part of The Cthulhu Mythos. He resembles an obese, furry bat/toad/man hybrid. He's fairly benign, and doesn't bother people unless they are his sacrifices, and even then only if he can reach them without getting up. _Lazy_ doesn't begin to describe him. He does exist in The Marvel Universe, as does Zvilpoggua.

The Man-Serpents were created by Robert E, Howard for the Conan adventure, _The God in The Bowl_. They didn't turn people to stone, but they could hypnotize and kill them. They fled underground during the war with the humans, and those who stayed behind were almost all killed. They exist/existed in The Marvel Universe.

The Wolf Demon is a demon that causes/inflicts lycanthropy and the violence and madness it causes. It is canon.

The Wolf Men of Lemuria are also canon.

The Lava Men are canon and appear as allies or enemies of The Avengers and The Fantastic Four from time to time. I use the term 'Lava Men' as no female has ever been depicted and they appear to be a created all-male race.

Bobby is a male stripper. His parents were not amused.


	68. Chapter 68

Snakehead

Chapter 68

...

Thomas looked up at his older brother, "Rick, I was thinking. Maybe we should invite Aaron to the wedding. He's a relative, after all."

Richard Salmons looked down at his brother, "I don't think that would work. First, he's a mutant terrorist, Dad wouldn't want to be seen with him, and he doesn't want the fact that we're related getting out, though I'm sure it will. Second, he's a prisoner, and having him in chains at my wedding to Tommy would look really bad. Third, I don't think he likes us. Our family split over a hundred years ago, and I think he might hold a grudge over our differing financial states."

"I just thought we should try to make up with the Salomons."

"They apparently want nothing to do with Aaron either. He's an obvious mutant, and he's a known terrorist, very few people outside of you, Xavier and a few other kind people would even give him a chance."

"What about you, Rick?"

"I honestly don't know. I know people can change, and I work around Mystique all the time at The Club. But I don't know him one way or the other. Xavier must see something in him." He looked back, "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Thomas smiled, "Yes. Just as long as no one attacks us, I should be fine."

"Tuesday it is! We have a day and a half to call everyone, get everything together and do this."

"Have you ever noticed how every time superheroes have a wedding all of their enemies show up to fight?"

"I'm not a superhero kid, not even close. I'm sure I've made enemies as a mercenary, but they'd be more interested in who sent me."

...

Ray sat back and enjoyed the sunshine.

He was sitting in a lounge chair outside of normal splashing distance of the pool, just chilling. He was wearing a pair of orange and black swimming trunks and dark sunglasses. He looked like a surfer boy without a tan. Or a board. There wasn't much surfing to be had in Bayville, much to Alex's displeasure, but Ray doubted he'd bother if it were California. It was dangerous, if he was honest with himself, for an electrokinetic mutant like himself to even use the swimming pool, much less the ocean.

Water was definitely not his element.

They'd finally rescheduled the wedding, and he wanted a nice tan. He also wanted to be away from the other kids, the adults, even Thomas for the moment, to just have 'Ray Time'. He thought about Slither, his appearance would have earned him an instant place among The Morlocks, but he'd been he'd been one of the unlucky ones. Instead of Xavier and his school he ended up with groups like HYDRA and The Serpent Society. He could never pass for human. But he was proud of that fact. Ray figured it was good to be proud of your differences. He flaunted his. Hiding in high school, being pushed around, sometimes even beat up because he was forbidden to use his powers outside of the mansion, in DR or on missions... It sucked. It was almost a relief when he was outed as a mutant, he could finally defend himself.

_If this is a school for gifted youngsters, as Xavier says, why the Hell did we go to public school AND private school? _He knew the answer, of course, to 'integrate with ordinary humans, to try to show them that they were peaceful, different, but peaceful'.

_That was a smashing success,_ not!

But this was 'Ray Time' not 'bitch about the past' time. Clowns like Duncan Matthews and Principle Kelly had gotten some karmic feedback, and life was pretty good, when Magneto and other psychotic losers weren't causing trouble.

He wondered how Scaleface would look in her bridesmaid's gown.

_If it's ugly, she'll probably burn it and come in a cut-off t-shirt, shorts and combat boots_. He chuckled at the thought. His girlfriend was not a 'delicate flower'. If they cared enough, his parents would probably have tried to steer him away from 'a girl like that'.

He wondered what_ her_ parents would think of _him_.. The pierced punk boy with multi-colored hair and a bad temper. He'd probably end up having a discussion with her father's firearm of choice.

_Romeo and Juliet_, without the sword fights, the fancy Old English terminology, and, hopefully, without the tragic death scene at the end. If he wanted tragic death scenes he'd watch the nightly news

That reminded him, tonight they were showing _'The Tingler'_ with Vincent Price. Thomas assured him it was a great movie, and if it had Vincent Price, it had at least one good actor.

He rolled onto his stomach to get an even tan and daydreamed about blowing up sentinels. He was careful to keep himself awake and alert, more than one student had fallen asleep sunbathing to find some prankster (occasionally including a cunning prankster named Ray Crisp) had placed sunblock on them to spell out embarrassing messages or just make them look funny. Besides that, he was naturally fair-skinned, not so much as Thomas, but enough that he could develop sunburn fairly quickly.

Raymond Crisp.

Crisp was an odd name, when you thought about it. Where did it come from? Crispus?

"Touch me and die horribly." He said without turning his head to look at the would be prankster.

Jamie looked at the tube of heavy duty sunscreen and frowned.

It just wasn't worth it.

"How did you-?"

"I used to pull that same trick. And, I have a third eye in the back of my head, so don't try to sneak up on me."

Jamie walked quickly away, not quite certain if Ray was lying or not about the third eye.

He'd seen stranger things, like Tabitha's fashion sense.

Or Tom's fashion sense, for that matter.

...

Lance debated whether or not to enter the gates to Xavier's estate.

On the one hand, the school provided food, clothing, shelter and some measure of protection from the lunatics outside.

One the other hand, it had a very pissed off Wolverine waiting for them.

"Might as well get it over with." Pietro advised, "Besides, maybe we'll get to see how Blue-Boy looks now." He smirked.

"Maybe Todd got a picture before they killed him." Blob started checking his phone.

"Ah, Hell. It's not like they can't track us down. I'd rather go down with some dignity." Lance said.

As they pulled into the driveway of Xavier's mansion they saw Logan standing by the door, his hand gripping a very uncomfortable looking Todd's shoulder.

"Maybe we should just turn around?"

"Out. Now." Was all Logan said.

...

"First, you're gonna' to apologize to Kurt, and to Ray for stealing his hair dye. Yes,in person." _Even though Ray probably would probably have pulled this same prank a year or two ago if_ _he'd ever thought of it... Lucky for him he was too busy making Scott's life miserable._ "Then, you're gonna' wash the jet 'till it sparkles like a _Twilight_ vampire and scrub down the whole hangar until it's clean enough to eat off the landing strip. Then Xavier will talk about punishment."

"What! That's not right!" Pietro shouted, "We shouldn't be punished twice for the same thing!"

"Life ain't fair, kid. Besides, Xavier probably won't do anything."

At that moment Ray walked in, shirtless and nicely tanned. He yawned, "Hey guys."

"Uh, Ray, sorry we stole your hair dye."

"S'okay. I'm surprised I never thought of it." He sensed Logan's glare, "I mean, that was a terrible thing you did to poor Kurt!" He yawned again, "Now, if you'll excuse me, my bed is calling me." He headed up the stairs, "And, uh, don't do it again. The orange mixed with the natural blue, he's brown as Scott's nose now."

The Brotherhood boys broke out laughing. Even Logan smiled at that parting shot.

"Get to bed, before I put you on work detail with them."

Ray vanished like smoke.

...

To be continued...

Notes

Ray, of course, does not have a third eye in the back of his head. Only teachers, babysitters and mothers have those.

I have NOT abandoned this story, I'm just a bit slower with several works running through my head at once.


	69. Chapter 69

Snakehead

Chapter 69

...

The Salmons family estate

Ray looked around Thomas' room in awe. It was huge, and packed with antiques, books, statuary and toys. The bed was solid oak and big enough to fit four adults. The attached bathroom had marble, real marble everywhere, a swimming pool sized tube and a shower that could fit four people. The walk-in closet, if one could call it that, held a number of outfits reflecting Thomas' odd sense of style, ripped, torn leather jackets, distressed jeans, studded and spiked accessories like collars and wrist bands.

There was no way daddy approved of this.

"Wow, it looks like a S&amp;M shop. Hey, Tom, where's the whips and chains, yo?" Todd asked.

"The dungeon."

Both Todd and Ray's eye widened to saucers.

"Not _that_ kind of dungeon. This house has an old block of cells and a small torture chamber, probably a legacy of one of my slave-trading scum-bag ancestors. I was joking about the whip though. You're welcome to try the iron maiden if you want..."

"No thanks!"

"It's an original, shipped in from Spain. Trust me, that is one lady you don't want to embrace."

"Um, why does your family keep objects of torture?"

"To keep the servants in line." Tom said with a completely straight face.

"Remind me never to ask for a job here."

Tom laughed, "I was lying. There used to be a torture chamber down there, and we still have props, fake devices, my grandmother hated the place so much that she had all of the original equipment donated to a museum or destroyed. There are still a few real things left, though." He walked over to the other side of his bed and lifted up what looked like a short metal staff with a spiked globe on the end. Probably because it _was_ a short metal staff with a spiked globe on the end.

"This is _Elvenbane_, my morningstar. Any foolish elves try to murder me in my sleep, I'll have it right beside me."

Ray debated whether or not to tell his unstable roommate that elves did, in fact, exist. A race of Dark Elves lived a land near Asgard, and a few were enemies of Thor and the Nordic Pantheon. There were almost certainly other elven creatures, based on stories he'd heard about the British-based super hero group Excalibur.

"I doubt they could find you in that monster bed, Dawg."

"Elves can be very cunning, you can never trust-"

There was a knock at the door.

Thomas went over and opened it, _Elvenbane_ in hand.

The butler ignored the weapon, "Sirs, dinner will be ready in twenty minutes."

"Thank you, Martin." Tom said cheerfully.

"Hunting elves again, sir?" Martin indicated the morningstar.

"No, I was just showing my friends."

The butler looked at Ray and Todd, "Do you gentlemen need anything while you wait?"

"No thank you." Ray may have squeaked slightly. This place, these people were pretty intimidating. "We're fine."

"And you?"

"What's for dinner?"

"I believe your party is having the meat pies."

"Like on _Sweeney Todd_?"

Ray face-palmed and Thomas started laughing.

"I hope not Mr. Tolensky. The selection is beef, pork and mutton. We have yet to find any barber shops that supply 'The other, other white meat.'" Martin chuckled a bit, and soon all three boys were laughing hysterically.

...

Tommy looked toward the direction of the laughter, "Sounds like they're having fun."

"Kids." Richard said, "Maybe we'll have a few."

"You mean _I'll_ have a few, and you'll hold my hand while I do all the hard work." She teased.

"Hey, putting the little guys inside has to count for something, right?" Richard pouted.

"I don't think that counts as hard work."

Richard's room was spartan compared to his brother's, which was humble compared to many of the other rooms in the mansion. There were books on weaponry, tactics and methods of warfare, a case of guns, including some very rare and unusual pieces, which Tommy stated unequivocally would not be accompanying them back to New York and a similar connection of knives, swords and katana. A large picture of their family hung on the wall, otherwise it was bare of decoration. Richard had never needed or wanted anything extravagant to clutter up his room.

"So, you're really going to do it? You're really going to give up being a mercenary?"

"I'd rather not end up telling our kids that I kill people for money."

"I'm glad. I can't stand the thought of losing you, to a bullet or to guilt and regret."

...

"Does N'Kantu eat?"

"He can eat and drink, but he doesn't need to, the solution that keeps him alive is self-sustaining and doesn't require nutrients. I don't know if it's possible for him to drink enough liquid to repair the damage to his throat caused by over three-thousand years without water. We should ask Dr. McCoy or Dr. Sugarman if they can create a medicine to help heal his throat."

"I hope so, dude's suffered enough."

"Who was the guy with the purple mohawk?" Ray asked, "I didn't get to meet him."

"That's one of Rick's friends, a mercenary called Roach. His real name is Ritchie-Bob Guinness. He's going to be one of the groomsmen. We'll meet him soon enough. He's cool. He's not like a Dirty Harry type guy, he's fun to be around, unless he's been sent after you. He has powers like Tommy, he can flatten his body and slide through impossibly small places. He and Rick worked together in a mission in Madripoor once. I was scared to death, Madripoor is one of the most dangerous places on earth, ruled by crime lords. I thought Rick would die for sure. But he survived, he and Roach became friends and saved each other's lives a few times. When they came back, the ones that came back, the whole group swore never to go back there again."

Ray nodded in agreement. "I don't blame them. Wolverine's told us all about some of his experiences in Madripoor, and I have no desire to go there, as I have a very strong desire to live."

"Most of us do, unfortunately Death has a strange disregard for what we want or need." Thomas replied.

"A cheerful philosophy, but honest. There's been lot's of times I thought She would come and take me away... But She hasn't yet. Not for lack of trying on some people's part." Ray shook his head, "All we try to do is help people, and they all seem to want to kill us."

"I see why you two get along now, ye'r both depressing emo boys, yo."

"Wait a minute," Ray said, "As we're staying here the night and you have a lot of guests, does that mean we have to sleep together in your bed tonight?"

"I hadn't thought about it." Thomas admitted. He considered the fact that Todd slept naked and he and Ray slept in their underwear, for three straight teenage boys that would be an odd predicament. But it was a big bed. "It's a big bed, but I know you'd probably be uncomfortable, I wouldn't mind, really. As long as Todd has some clothes on. My room doesn't have the love seats and couches like some of the others, but I can have them brought in, if you think it's best."

...

Scaleface was waiting for them in the dining room, looking lost in the Salmons family's ridiculously ornate home. She smiled as Ray walked up and embraced her,

"Ray, this place gives me the creeps, no offense Tom."

"None taken. My family certainly loved showing off their money."

Ray's phone went off as dinner began, and he was about to shut it off until he saw that it was Andrew.

"Excuse me, it's my brother." He got up and walked over to a corner

"Hey, Andy!"

"Ray you won't believe what happened."

"Good or bad?"

"Good. Definitely good. I got a _full ride scholarship_ to the college of my choice!"

Ray almost dropped the phone.

"Wha?"

Andrew laughed, "That's an intelligent response."

"S-sorry, I'm just so... Surprised." He looked in Tom's direction and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not stupid, Ray. Besides, this was part of an urban youth thing, some new private idea of giving poor kids a chance at college. I was one of three chosen."

"Three?" Surely Thomas couldn't afford _three_ full run scholarships.

"Yeah. Three. I don't know the other kids, one's from Harlem and one's from Hell's Kitchen."

"Remember, you still have to pay for food and clothes and stuff, so don't start spending everything you've got thinking you won't need it." Ray warned, "And keep your grades up."

"Yes, mom." He could practically hear Andrew's eyes rolling over the phone.

"And stay away from the fraternities, those guys do some freaky, perverted hazing crap-"

"Dad already warned me. If I do something that gets me on a porno website for a frat initiation I'm out of the family. Besides, I don't get along with rules, and I'd beat up anyone who wanted me to do something disgusting just to get into their stupid clubhouse."

"Just don't hit _too_ hard, you don't need an assault rap. Or a prison sentence." He smirked, "How's _dad_ going to know if you end up a porno site?"

"Dad... Has a wide variety of interests."

"_TMI_, dude."

"You asked."

"Yeah, my bad."

"Anyway, I'll be a good boy. I still have a year of school, plenty of time to think about it." He paused, "How do _you_ know about those kind of frat hazings and dirty websites?"

"Jubilee. A girl I used to date, she talked constantly, I mean she just wouldn't shut up, and sometimes she talked about her favorite websites. And I do_ NOT_ want her or anyone else perving over my baby brother on those sites!"

"I'm not stupid, desperate or masochistic. I probably won't be able to afford an apartment of my own unless I get a roommate, so I'll most likely stay at a dorm."

"Well, congratulations, kid. I'm at Mr. Salmons', uh, castle? for the wedding, I should be back at Xavier's by Monday. I'll be glad to get back, they have servants, a butler and everything! Thomas' bathroom is bigger than our bedrooms combined, and his room is considered small! Talk about a fish out of water, I'm on another planet!"

"Well, try not to have a breakdown big bro. Or burn the place down around you."

"Ha-ha. Gotta go, dinner's getting cold... I think they actually served it cold. It's getting colder. See ya' _Annie_."

"Bye, _Rachel_."

When Ray went back to his chair several minutes had passed.

"Is everything alright?" Scaleface asked.

"It's fine. _Somehow_ Andrew got a full ride scholarship to the school of his choice." He looked at Thomas, who was busy cutting his pork pie into small chunks.

_What? You think I'm behind this?_ He signed, _I have to admit, it's a great idea, but I didn't do anything._

Ray could tell he was telling the truth. Thomas Salmons was a terrible liar.

_Dad doesn't really mind what I do, as long as I don't join The Democratic Party or go to Berkeley. I have no desire to do either, politics disgust me and I'll probably continue to study at Xavier's. Judging from what I've seen and heard, college fraternities are even worse than Congress._

"You don't have to join a fraternity, you can rent an apartment or a dorm room. You could afford your own house. And Berkeley isn't my first choice, either." Ray responded. "And I've heard horror stories about frats too, that's why I warned Andrew about them."

_You better eat, I can't have a groomsman faint from starvation during my brother's wedding._

Scaleface and Todd laughed.

"Yes,_ mother._"

...

The night ended up less complicated than they feared, nobody slept in the bed. Thomas slept on a tan-colored Victorian chaise lounge, Ray slept on a very fine tan couch and Todd slept on a similarly colored love seat.

The next morning,

For the first time since they'd met, all three boys agreed to shower together to save time and because the bathroom was so huge it was ridiculous to wait on each other. Thomas and Ray showered together while Todd splashed around in the massive bathtub. Todd had never seen either boy naked before, Ray was usually shy about his body (Todd figured a guy hung like _that_ would want to show off) and Thomas had never undressed in front of him, though both boys slept in their underwear. But there they were, laughing (it was hard to tell with Tom, as he was mute), playing and splashing water on each other like little kids. The shower had four shower heads and was the size of a regular bathroom. Todd hopped out of the tub and joined them.

The floor was soaked when they got out, dried off with the softest towels both Ray and Todd had ever felt in their lives, Ray styled up his hair with gel he'd brought along, and they walked naked into the room to get dressed in their wedding attire, (of course, Thomas had to slap both of them on their bare butts, Todd still wasn't sure about him).

"I'm surprised we didn't get electrocuted." Todd noted, trying to get his tie right, cursed thing.

"So am I." Ray said, helping with the tie, "I usually take quick showers." He looked at Tom, "And remember what I said about slapping me on the ass?"

"That I'd die horribly," Tom said absently, looking for his other sock

"You did it again, when I was _naked_. That's a double strike against you."

Tom finally found the sock under a pillow, "How did that get there?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Uh-huh, I slapped your naked ass, I'm going to die horribly," He pulled on his sock, then his shoe, "It can wait until after the wedding."

Todd laughed, and Ray couldn't help it, he started laughing too.

...

To be continued...

Notes-

As they have a large number of guests that probably wouldn't mingle well, the staff is serving meals by groups, or individuals, in the case of those who prefer to eat privately.

A meat pie is a traditional dish from The British Isles that is mainly meat in a pie crust. How can Junior/Thomas eat such a thing? By cutting it into small pieces.

N'Kantu is, of course, The Living Mummy.

The Big Day has arrived! In the next chapter, that is.

It's often weird how we guys act when we shower together. Or any other activity that requires being naked. At least, in my (very little) experience. I can't explain it. And yes,_ I am male_.


	70. Chapter 70

Snakehead

Chapter 70

...

Roach carefully smoothed out the sides of his deep purple mohawk. He knew it would be a distraction at the wedding, but even if he let it down it would still be purple, and his philosophy was 'if you're gonna' go with something, go big'. It actually didn't look too bad with his jet black tux. It felt odd not to be packing, even he was at a friend's wedding (soft target), but the small laser built into his fountain pen, carefully hidden by the white corsage, could take down a sentinel if the angle was _just_ right...

"Nice hair, dude."

Roach turned to see a tall boy with blond hair and an orange sunburst styled into his bangs, "Yours is pretty impressive as well."

Ray held out his hand, "Ray, Ray Crisp. People call me Berzerker."

Roach shook his hand, "I go by Roach, because I still haven't forgiven my parents for naming me Ritchie-Bob." He smiled, "Hey, Tom, ready?"

"I'm ready! Let's get this show on the road."

"Don't get too attached to Thomas." Ray warned, "I'm going to kill him when the wedding's over."

"Why?"

Thomas answered that question himself by smacking Ray on the rear again.

"_That's_ why."

Roach laughed, "A not-so-secret admirer?"

"A nutcase with a spanking fetish." Ray turned and grabbed Tom by the arm, "Do you want to live long enough to be in the wedding?"

"Guys slap each other on the ass all the time, especially in sports, locker rooms and showers." Roach said, checking his hair one more time in the mirror, "As to _why_ straight guys like to touch other guys' butts, I have no answer for you."

"Because if I did that to any _girl_ at the school she'd either gut me like a fish or burn me alive, depending upon the girl. I don't know what Jubilee would do, but with her evil, dirty little mind I think I'd prefer being gutted." Tom explained, "Besides, Ray's ass is perfect for smacking. Muscular and firm. Just the right amount of resistance and bounce."

"Dude, you're scarier than Jubilee."

"I take that back," Roach said, "That is definitely _not_ normal behavior."

...

Richard Salmons was wearing a spotless jet black tuxedo with a white corsage as took his place at the center of the wedding, awaiting his bride.

Finally.

It was finally going to happen.

Neither he nor Tommy blamed Thomas for his 'incident' and the forced delay of the wedding, but it was still difficult. Some of the guests had been unable to make the newly scheduled wedding, and the wedding planner was in histrionics over the rapid rescheduling.

Then he saw Tommy walking down the aisle.

She was a vision, an ethereal creature of cascading colors clothed in a white silk wedding dress. She walked smiling toward him, but he knew she was nervous, they both were, today would change their lives forever.

Husband and wife.

For a moment only she existed, no wedding, no problems, no complications.

Only a beautiful woman stepping up beside him.

...

Ray watched as Scaleface awkwardly made her way down the aisle wearing a beautiful blue satin gown and smiled. She was perfect, _The Girl_, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He pictured her in a white dress, walking toward him, more beautiful than any sapphire or diamond.

Yes, he was in love.

She looked up and smiled back at him before joining the other bridesmaids by Tommy's side.

He had to stop himself from stupidly watching her instead of paying attention to his duties as groomsman.

Which were apparently the same as those of The British Royal Guard. Stand there like a statue and do nothing else.

He looked out over the crowd, aside from Todd, there were few familiar faces. N'Kantu was there, dressed in regal North African attire over his ragged bandages. He wondered if they could be removed, or were fused with his skin. If his body was anything like Tutankhamen's, whose dried, pitiful remains he had seen on a class field trip to a museum for a special exposition, then he had very good reason to keep his bandages on.

Most of the guests were friends of the family who had been willing to attend a human-mutant wedding. Still, several were openly staring at either the bride, at Thomas' eyes or Roach's mohawk. He felt a little offended that no one was staring at _his_ hair. He worked hard to get that orange sunburst perfect.

But deep purple mohawks trump orange bangs, apparently.

His mind was wandering. He hadn't expected such a long speech, about love, fidelity, empathy and understanding.

Good advice.

He wondered what kind of wedding he might have with Scaleface. Assuming she accepted him, when they were ready. Nothing so grand as this, certainly, though, knowing Thomas he'd probably try to book anything from Niagara Falls to the Taj Mahal. As he was no longer a Morlock, his welcome in The Tunnels was never a sure thing. Though they didn't attack him on sight now as they had previously, and she was still a member, it might cause trouble with Callisto and the tribe. So a Morlock wedding was likely out of the question, unless he returned fully to the tribe, something he could not do. He had powers, powers that could, and had, saved lives. He couldn't cower in the ground anymore, he had a purpose.

He was an _X-Man_.

...

Thomas stood proudly beside his brother as they finally reached his part, and he handed Richard the ring and watched Richard slide it onto his new bride's finger. And so Tommy officially became Mrs. Angela Walker Salmons. He'd never heard her given name before, even after leaving The Morlocks she'd preferred her mutant identity over her human past. He wondered if anyone here, any of the bridesmaids,perhaps, (except, obviously, Scaleface), were any relation to her. But now wasn't the time to ask, obviously.

He hoped that the world would allow them to be happy together.

...

The Reception,

It was odd, to say the least, wealthy and poor, human and mutant all mingling (sort of) in one setting. Ray, Scaleface,Todd and occasionally Thomas, when he could break away from questions about his health, his ophidian eyes and how 'private school' was going, were occupying a far table near the wall, as was N'Kantu. The kids were eating some of the ridiculously delicious cake and pastries from the banquet. Roach, being one of Richard's closest friends, was stuck near the happy couple, trying to ignore remarks people didn't think he could hear about his choice of hairstyle and color.

He didn't really care, normally, but this was a friend's wedding, not a hairdresser's salon.

Poor Thomas had it worse. All those people asking about his eyes. He was an obvious mutant now, unlike Roach, and that attracted a lot more, and more negative, attention than a simple mohawk. People were being polite, but he saw the looks in some faces as they looked at Thomas when they didn't think he was looking... Sadness, pity, disgust, slight fear. At least Tommy has a beautiful mutation, Thomas had the eyes of a serpent. If they could have seen his tongue, Roach had no doubt a few of the older guests would suffer heart attacks. But not everyone had something negative about them, many were genuinely friendly, a few curious, but not malicious or condescending.

Roach hated large gathering, too difficult to secure, too many potential casualties.

Too few guns.

If a group of armed men got past the relatively few guards, only Ray's powers, N'Kantu's strength and semi-invulnerability and his own laser pen could be useful. Thomas' mutation required getting too close, and a bouncing Toad would make an easy target for experienced gunman. Richard was an incredible fighter, but fist to gun was usually a losing proposition. He wondered if Rick was secretly packing.

He hated it. hated analyzing everything in terms of targets, assaults, weaknesses... Mercenary life really screwed up the mind. Maybe Rick had made the right decision to leave.

He sighed and shook his head.

...

"I never thought I'd be in the middle of something like this. It's like the ball in _'Cinderella_', except I don't feel like dancing with any rich princes." Scaleface observed, "But a _poor-to-middle-class prince_, I'd dance with_ him_." She turned to Ray. "Let's show these old people, no offence, N'Kantu, how to really dance."

Ray smiled, stood, and held out his hand, "It would be my pleasure, M'Lady."

"If you two start twerking they'll kill us all." Todd grinned.

Ray shot Todd a brief glare before leading Scaleface onto a fairly unoccupied portion of the dance floor.

As they got down to dance, ignoring the soft music and the stuffy, conservative, older dancers surprised expressions, their friends smiled and laughed. Even N'Kantu gave a dry grin.

"I have to hand it to you kids," The Living Mummy grated in his pained, damaged voice, "You know how to bring life to a party."

Richard led Tommy onto the dance floor and began dancing like Ray and Scaleface, followed by a few other younger couples and an adventurous older pair.

The party was just getting started...

...

To be continued...

Notes

Tommy has no canon name that I am aware of, so I named her Angela Walker at random.

Todd was a guest, not a member of the wedding party. There were three bridesmaids and three groomsmen, counting Thomas.


	71. Chapter 71

Snakehead

Chapter 71

...

As they walked back to the table, Ray and Scaleface noted that Thomas had joined them again.

"Good news, Ray. You don't have to kill me, the party will beat you to it."

Ray looked up at Thomas with a raised brow, "You don't like the party?"

"I don't like all the ridiculous questions and shocked stares. So just kill me and get it over with."

Ray smiled, "Nah, I think I'll let you suffer some more."

"Ray Crisp, you are an evil, evil person."

"I try."

...

After Richard and Tommy left on a honeymoon tour of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, many of the guests began to slowly filter out. Thomas, Ray, Todd and Scaleface were among those that stayed again overnight before making their way to their respective places.

Once again Ray was left to wonder where a 7'6" mummy went off to. To the best of his knowledge, the only pyramid in North America was in Las Vegas, or had they torn that down? Of course, N'Kantu was neither Egyptian nor bound to some tomb like a bad horror movie. For all anyone knew, he might have a bungalow in Key West or an apartment in New York. The man was something of a mystery even when he was being open. After being buried alive for three thousand years he probably preferred sleeping under the stars. That would give anyone claustrophobia.

Roach was headed back to New York, and no one questioned him on it. The man was a mercenary, after all. Still, he was a pretty cool guy, even giving Thomas tips on how to style his soon-to-be mohawk, though it would take a while for his hair to reach truly epic level, as in one or two feet high. Ray would help with the orange dye.

...

Thomas' room,

"I finally figured out how I'm going to do it." Ray sat on the plush bed and smiled that smile that told people who knew him something was about to go down. "I can't shock you, because that could actually kill you, so..."

Thomas, not intimately familiar with Ray's past life as a prankster and delinquent, just crossed his arms, "Well?"

He barely had time to register as Ray grabbed him and pulled him down over his knee.

"You've got to be kidding! You can't spank me! This is-"

Swat!

Todd started laughing maniacally and helped hold him down.

"_Et tu,_ _Todd?_" Tom said in his most mournful voice.

Smack!

"Hey! Stop it!"

Swat!

Swat!

"OUCH!"

Smack!

"AH!"

Swat!

"Okay! I'm sorry!"

Smack!

"I won't do it again! Please, I'm sorry!"

Ray relented and let Thomas up.

Thomas stood, red faced, rubbing his sore backside.

"I didn't hit you hard!" Tom protested.

"Just frequently. Consider that interest payments."

...

The next morning, when the boys showered together again with the usual horseplay, Thomas, surprisingly, kept his hands to himself.

Well, until they'd dried off, then he smacked Ray's bare ass again.

Ray just sighed and shook his head as Todd laughed.

"You just never learn, do you?"

Thomas gave the most innocent look a naked fifteen year-old boy with serpent's eyes could give.

_Compulsive behavior?_ He signed.

"Suicidal tendencies." Ray replied.

Thomas just shrugged.

"I hope I never have a kid like you."

_I'm one of a kind._

"Thank God for that."

...

The next morning,

Thomas hugged his father goodbye.

It was time to leave, to go back to Xavier's. To go back to school, DR and the other familiar madnesses.

"Be careful around Aaron, don't let him talk you into doing something foolish."

"I'm not going to let him out, dad. Unless Xavier decides to blow up the school again."

Ray face-palmed and Todd chuckled. Marcus just shook his head.

As Ray, Scaleface and Todd headed for the car, Thomas turned to his dad.

"Hey, dad. I heard that a number of officers on the Bayville PD who were fired recently. Specifically, the ones who tried to arrest the kids after the school blew up. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Some concerned citizen may have pressured the governor to take a fresh look at the case. Police brutality, prejudice and incompetence are very dangerous things. Police officers who pull guns on frightened, traumatized children after a terrorist attack have no business on the force."

"A concerned citizen?"

"Yes, just someone doing their civic duty."

"After three years it might seem petty and spiteful to them. But_ justice delayed is justice denied_, right dad?"

"Right. You'll make a proper lawyer yet. Speaking of justice, I have a feeling the Bayville Chief of Police will lose the next election."

"A pity." Thomas hugged his father. "Just don't replace him with a fool like Kelly."

"Be careful out there. I don't want you to get flattened by some sentinel or exsanguinated by a vampire cow. Or trampled by an angry Wolverine. Or blown up-"

"I'll be fine dad. I doubt Bessie can stomach blood like mine."

He paused for a moment, wanting to ask about Andrew's scholarship, but he realized that he really didn't want to know the answer. He should just be happy for him.

"Bye dad. I'll call when I can. You know how school can be."

"I know. Good luck."

...

The group drove up to the small private airstrip and began putting their luggage away.

Returning home was actually a bit of a relief for all of them, including Thomas, who found his old family home somewhat suffocating. Though he still wasn't keen on seeing Scott Summers' face again. Or fighting with Xavier over his security systems, past and present.

It was a pity he couldn't bring _Elvenbane_ along, but the school took a dim view on possession of lethal weapons on campus, even if they were medieval.

Thomas and Todd played video games with each other as the plane headed back to Xavier's, while Ray and Scaleface sat together near a window, looking out upon the countryside.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Ray replied sagely.

Scaleface giggled.

"What? Did you expect me to say, 'Not as beautiful as you'?" He grinned, "It's not nearly as beautiful as you, but that sounds so corny I figured you'd laugh. So I get laughed at either way."

"So, how was time with the kids?"

"We're never having kids." Ray smiled, "And I'm never going to make the mistake of showering with Tom again."

Scaleface smirked, "Is there something I need to know about between you two?"

"No. He's just a brat sometimes."

"So he's _not_ going to have your baby?"

Ray burst out laughing, as did Scaleface.

Tom and Todd looked over at the couple.

"Love makes fools of us all, eh Todd?"

...

To be continued...

Notes

Thomas is highly sensitive to electric shock. It's his 'Kryptonite' as he put it. Even a mild shock can leave him dazed and weak.

Ray is 18 years old and 6' tall, Tom is 15 years old and 5'2". No contest. Of course, Wolverine is also 5'2"...

This is not going to be a spanking fic. Just this chapter, as Ray tries, and fails, to teach Thomas a lesson.


	72. Chapter 72

Snakehead

Chapter 72

...

The plane landed on a private airstrip and the group disembarked. They were about forty miles from Bayville, and a minivan was waiting for them.

As was a motorcycle.

"Why's Mr. Logan here?"

"Just to make sure we're okay, I guess." Ray responded.

"That's right." Logan walked over to the group, "How was the wedding?"

"Great. But to tell you the truth, I'm glad to be out of there. It's like living in a museum." Thomas admitted.

"Or a palace." Todd said. "He has a bathroom with six showers and a pool for a tub."

"It's not a pool, at least, not a standard-sized swimming pool. I think the previous resident of my room was a libertine. Naturally, I got new furniture."

"What's a 'libertine'? Todd asked.

"Someone with an underdeveloped sense of morality and no self-restraint." Thomas replied.

"It's an old term, people don't use much anymore. Now they call 'em hedonists, playboys or players. Someone who embraces life and enjoys it to the full, usually by sleeping with lots of people." Logan shrugged, 'Not my kind a' party, but that's the way they are."

"I think I see why you got new furniture, yo."

Logan turned to Scaleface, "Is there any particular reason yer standin' between Ray an' Thomas?"

She did seem to be deliberately keeping them apart.

"Because Snakehead hasn't learned to keep his hands to himself." She replied. "Or to respect my property." She slapped Ray on the butt to prove her point.

"I'm sure I don't wanna' know." Logan turned toward his bike as the kids headed for the minivan.

...

It felt so odd, dropping Scaleface and her belongings back at one of the entrances to The Tunnels, knowing that she was going back to living in the abandoned tunnels beneath town after staying in a palatial mansion for several days.

Ray and Scaleface hugged and Todd hooted, earning a slap on the back of his head from Thomas.

"I'll see you later, handsome." Scaleface kissed Ray on the lips, and he returned the gesture.

Todd debating between keeping quiet or saying_ 'Get a room!'_ but decided to respect them, for now.

Once back at the mansion, he'd tease Ray mercilessly.

They parted, and Ray looked at Scaleface misty eyed, "Don't worry, I can't go long without seeing that beautiful face of your's."

"You're not so bad yourself, Ray."

Scaleface shot an intimidating look at Thomas, then picked up her bags and began her descent.

...

The mansion was in it's usual state, pandemonium. _Someone_ had iced the floor in the hallways, and a lot of angry, shouting kids and teachers were looking for one Bobby Drake. Multiples were spilling out of the mansion, probably hundreds of them, as the rest of the students tried to stay out of the way while Scott lay out cold on the lawn.

Ray smiled and spread his arms wide, "Home, Sweet Home."

...

When the floors had been de-iced and Bobby had been put under 'room-arrest', Thomas, Ray and Todd returned to their rooms to put their things away.

"I wonder what I'll do with this?" Ray looked at the garment bag holding the incredibly expensive tuxedo.

"Wear it to your wedding." Thomas replied easily.

"More likely pawn it to help pay for a ring." Ray wanted his (hopefully eventual) wedding to be a simple affair, well, as simple as circumstances would allow. He was fairly certain Scaleface would agree. He turned to Thomas, hoping he wasn't offended at the idea of pawning his gift, "I mean, I'm grateful for it and everything-"

Thomas smiled, "Do what you need to do. Just make sure to keep it safe until then."

"'Safe' is a relative term, especially in a school full of super-powered teenagers."

"True. Safe as possible, maybe?" He picked up Jabba the Hutt, "Mighty Jabba will dispose of any intruders."

"Mighty Jabba's about a foot long and made of soft plastic."

"I have a full-sized reproduction at our place in Nevada."

Ray looked at Thomas in disbelief for a moment, '_Full-sized'_?

"_Life Size_. 12'9" long. If the tail stretched out, which it doesn't."

"That's not a toy, that's a _statue!_"

"Yes, I suppose it is..."

"What about the throne?"

"The dais? Yes, I have that too."

"Isn't that overdoing it a bit?"

"Probably."

"How much would something like that weigh, anyway?"

Thomas scratched his head, "That depends on the materials used and how much of the inner cavity was filled. I honestly don't know, but it's too heavy to carry. They brought it in a tractor trailer and carried it with some kind of heavy machinery..."

"Have you ever considered that you might own _too_ much stuff?"

"Yeah. I know I do. But you really have to see it sometime." He shrugged, "In a way, I'm glad I'm a mutant now. Having to live in a small room with another guy keeps my hoarding tendencies in check." He looked over to his display shelf of Egyptian art and artifacts, "To a point. And it also gives me more meaningful things to do with my money... My_ dad's_ money, I should say." He sighed, "I must sound like a rich idiot."

"Naw, you _look_ like a regular idiot."

...

There was a seemingly endless stream of people stopping by, asking about the trip, how they were, etc. Broo was curious about human marriage/mating rituals, as was X-23, apparently. Some, like Kyle, were just glad to see them all back, apparently someone had started a rumor that Thomas was leaving Xavier's. No one knew who, and Thomas just shrugged it off.

As the boys finally undressed for bed after a long day, Thomas began considering Aaron. Slither was still in his cell, though he had no news of any changes in his temperament or philosophy about human-mutant relations.

Thomas really didn't care if Aaron hated humans, it was his right to hate who he wanted, he just didn't want him to be violent or stirring up trouble against innocent people.

He'd have to visit him as soon as he could, someone needed to keep him company, and he was family. He'd tried to think of activities that didn't involve letting him out, like maybe card games or board games, but Thomas wasn't talented when it came to the cards. He didn't know what, if anything, Aaron liked to do in his spare time.

Ray looked over as his roommate set his vocal projector on the small table next to his figure of Jabba the Hutt. He'd seen him shirtless and in his underwear every night since he moved in and always thought he was skinny, but seeing him naked had made it obvious that he was_ really_ thin. Possibly dangerously so. Maybe he could use protein drinks or something to gain more weight.

"Thomas."

Thomas turned his head.

"How much do you weigh?"

Thomas shrugged.

"You're skinny, I mean, like _crack addict_ skinny. No offense. Did Hank say anything about that?"

_He just said that I should try to eat more. It's not easy, of course._

"How about protein shakes, things like that. Since we exercise and train a lot you need to have calories to burn off."

Thomas considered for a moment

_It might work. Thanks, Ray. I'm going to try to visit Aaron tomorrow, so I'll probably see Hank or William, and I'll ask them about it._

Ray nodded his head.

_Does it bother you, I mean,_ really _upset you when I slap your ass?_

Ray didn't know how to answer that. "In public, yes. But like now, alone or in the shower or something, well, guys do that to each other all the time. I did find it embarrassing how you described my ass as, what did you say, 'muscular and firm, with the perfect amount of resistance and bounce'? to a complete stranger."

Thomas' cheeks reddened a little. _Yeah, that was kind of inappropriate, wasn't it?_

Ray sighed in defeat, it was a small thing, really. It didn't hurt and Tom didn't get 'excited' by it. "I guess I don't mind much, as long as nobody's around."

Thomas smiled.

"And if you tell anyone I said that I'll rip out your guts and strangle you with them." Ray turned off the lights and slid into bed. "And remember, I _will_ hit back."

Thomas laughed silently and shook his head before climbing into his own bed and slipping on his sleep mask.

Ray practically burrowed into his pillow. He was exhausted, even though he really hadn't done much that day, physically. He soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

...

To be continued...

Notes

I suppose Alignment wise our characters would be

Thomas - Chaotic Neutral

Ray - Chaotic Good

Todd - Chaotic Neutral

Scott - Lawful Neutral

Scaleface - Chaotic Neutral

Sebastian and Shinobi Shaw could be considered libertines, Shinobi far more than his father.

Ray honestly can't do much to Thomas as Thomas is so vulnerable to electricity.

I've suffered nervous breakdowns before, and they are not funny. As I suffer from anxiety disorders, I am NOT insulting or mocking others who suffer them.


	73. Chapter 73

Snakehead

Chapter 73

...

"I can't believe you didn't steal _anything_!"

Todd shrugged, "Most of it was too heavy, yo. 'Sides, too easy. I coulda taken a whole room fulla' stuff and nobody'd notice..."

"So why didn't you?"

"I don't steal from my friends," He looked around at the condemning faces, "Well, not_ all_ the time... Besides, you could get lost in Thomas' bedroom, the house is huge. How anybody finds there way around I don't know. A burglar would probably starve before he found the way out again."

"So, how did you three get along?"

Todd grinned wickedly. Oh, he could ruin Ray's reputation with what he'd seen, but then Berzerker and Snakehead would kill him horribly. Besides, it was innocent horseplay, right?

"Oh, we had a crazy time, yo."

"What are you grinning about?" Lance crossed his arms and looked at Todd suspiciously.

"You know what Tom's like. He's even worse at home. He sleeps with a frickin' Morningstar by his bed in case the Elves attack."

The Brotherhood members burst out laughing.

"Why does he hate Elves so much?" Fred asked.

"Maybe _Lord of The Rings_ traumatized him?" Wanda suggested.

"Naw, it was _Dungeons and Dragons_. All of the stuck-up, self-righteous, holier-than-thou Elves who think they're a superior race."

"Sounds like Magneto to me."

...

Aaron Saloman was lifting weights in the gym under the watchful eye of Wolverine. His powers had been restricted, probably telepathically by Xavier, but he wanted to keep in shape in case he needed to fight his way out. And, of course, sitting in that cell all day was boring as Hell. His eyes registered Thomas entering the room. He was wearing a shorts and a black t-shirt with a wide grin and the words '_We're All Mad Here_' written on it, and his hair was styled into the humble beginnings of a mohawk.

"Hey, Aaron."

"How wasss the wedding?" He hissed as he added another set of weights to the bar.

"Great. No super-villain attacks, no Galactus attempting to eat the world, no Clown Apocalypse."

Slither wasn't much stronger than a 'flatscan', a 'normal' human, even with his mutation, but his powers allowed him to use his body and limbs like an anaconda, squeezing the life out of his enemies. Actual fist fighting wasn't something he was used to or good at, but it was all he could do without his mutant abilities. It was highly unlikely he could escape, even if he took a hostage, all they would have to do would be telepathically pummel him into submission.

He was stuck for the long run.

"I was wondering what kind of things you like to do. It must be boring, stuck in that cell."

"You have no idea."

"Why did you join HYDRA?"

Slither rolled his eyes, "I owed Madame Hydra a debt. It'sss a long ssstory."

Thomas looked around the room and wondered if he could lift anything over ten to twelve pounds. He thought about Ray's remark the night before, and he was underweight. It's hard to eat a lot when you have to eat through a snake in your mouth. Hank had given him some nutritional supplements, mostly shakes and drinks, which should help.

"Somethin' wrong?"

Thomas looked at Logan, "No sir. I was just thinking about being underweight. I'm going to start drinking those nutritional shakes with dinner."

"Don't eat a lot _and_ drink those things, you'll end up puking yer guts out."

"Dr. McCoy already warned me about that, but thanks."

...

Thomas sat on a bench with a small, small barbell.

Some mutants have super strength. Some have super speed.

And some just have freaky tongues.

As he began his workout Thomas couldn't help but wonder about everything.

Was it right?

Didn't Aaron have a right to hate humans?

Not that Thomas was for prejudice or racism, but you can't _force_ people to like one another.

Can you?

If you could, would you have the right to change someone against their will?

You can try to educate them, teach them that the people they hate aren't monsters or animals, just people.

But in the end, it was there own decision.

It was right to make people stop doing drugs that could kill them or make them kill others, right?

So why not hate? Hate can kill. And Aaron is a terrorist.

It was a bit of both.

Aaron had a right to hate humans, he just didn't have a right to hurt or kill humans, or anyone for that matter.

So how far did Xavier intend this re-education to go? Just to curb his violent tendencies, or to brainwash him?

"Aaron. I know you hate humans, and I can't blame you for that. But why violence?"

"I already told your friend, Ray. Sssometimesss you have to ssslither through the mud to sssurvive. You sssaw thossse foolsss from the Church of Humanity, you know they would have killed you given the chance. I sssimply refussse to give them the chance. It'sss war, we fight, or we die. Remember our ancessstorsss, The Ssserpent Men? The humansss hated them, and where are they now? Where are their great empiresss? I doubt there isss a sssingle village on earth belong to them. Their dessscendantsss are ssscattered to the wind."

"I also know that they were The Elder Race. Humans were the new race. Humans overwhelmed The Serpent People just as humans fear mutants will do to them. It might be ironic justice, after a fashion."

"Which isss why we have to fight. The Elder Races grew complacent, let humansss thrive among them. The humansss repaid them with genocide."

"Is that what you want, Aaron? To be as ruthless and sadistic as humanity?"

"I jussst want to live. Humansss will die out naturally, asss more and more mutantsss are born. They will breed themssselvesss into extinction. We have to hold them off, protect our own, until then."

"You'll have a long wait." Logan leaned against the wall, arms akimbo, "Humans are being born every day, too. The human race isn't just gonna' die off an' leave mutants the planet. Evolution ain't usually that fast. And some mutants have human kids. It's just a roll a' the genetic dice. We gotta' learn to live with each other, or one day some powerful scumbag like Apocalypse will kill _everyone_. Or some moron will push The Big Red Button and blow earth to ashes. Either way, we all die."

"It ssseemsss to me that sssome moron would pusssh The Big Red Button even without 'The Mutant Menace'. There are sssome who want to find another world, to colonize it, to make a world where mutantsss rule."

"We've considered it," Thomas replied, "But most of us just have too many ties to earth to leave it altogether. Even if mutantkind did colonize another planet, there's no guarantee that they'd have mutant kids. And mutants fight amongst each other just as viciously as humans do. Look at us, you're a prisoner of your fellow mutants for committing crimes against humans. Apocalypse nearly killed most of The X-Men, and that whore Mystique blew up the whole school with most of the kids trapped inside. We might be able to run away from humanity, but we can't run away from our own flawed natures." He switched the weight to the other hand, "It would be nice if we could, but, in the end, we would simply transfer our hatred and bigotry to another planet. We might judge each other by lineage, how 'human' we look, strong powers against weak powers, scale color, anything could become a reason to persecute one another. All humans and mutants, with a few exceptions like us, descend from the same source. The same people. The only difference between one 'race' and another are those we put into our own narrow little minds."

"Tell that to the Ssserpent Men, or The Wolf Men of Valusssia, or The Ssspider Men of Omm."

"Of course, The Elder Races are different, like I said, we're _not_ human, not completely. Our DNA is not from the same source, we may be mingld at times, but we are not _Homo Sapiens_ or _Homo Superior_. I'm not sure about The Wolf Men, were they merely Werewolves, or something more?" Thomas pondered this for a moment, "I'll have to research that, though there's not much left to describe them so thoroughly."

"Perhapsss then we ssshould be fighting for our heritage rather than human mutants."

"Our heritage lies in dust and ashes, Aaron. Even if there are any Serpent People out there, how would we find them? And they would see as tainted, remember, we spoke about that. We're thousands of generations from pure bloods."

"We could create a new empire."

"Sorry, but you're not my type, and if either of us could get pregnant, that would be a miracle in itself, wouldn't it?"

"There are othersss. Femalesss. Have you ever heard of Yith?"

"The half-snake bounty hunter. I've heard of her."

"Ssshe isss a direct dessscendant of Ssset."

"She also has the lower body of a snake. Not to be prejudiced, but that would be weird, I mean is her... _You know_, even like a woman?"

"I wasss not talking about you. After all, you have Ray."

"Ray and I are not boyfriends. He's my best friend. He has a girlfriend. A _reptilian_ girlfriend, in fact. She turns into a dragon."

"You two do realize you are talking about overwhelming the planet with serpent spawn while I'm still standin' here, don't ya?" Logan interrupted, "Not exactly a subtle way to discuss conquering the planet."

"Jussst dreamsss, X-Man. That isss all."

"Why would I want to control the earth, can you imagine the hassle? The logistics alone would be impossible. I'm not an Alpha, I follow, I don't lead."

...

X-23 smirked, "I hope all these expensive trips to fancy castles haven't made you soft, Ray."

"I'd say something witty, Laura, but I'd like my internal organs to remain internal..." Ray replied, "I'll show you how 'soft' I am next DR."

"Actually going to do something for a change besides stand there and look pretty?"

Ray smiled, "You think I'm hot, huh?" He flexed his biceps.

"Don't flatter yourself. You're not my type. Too tall."

"I prefer girls who don't try to kill me."

" I beat you down when we first met, and I can still kick your scrawny butt."

"You had the element of surprise and used Rogue to knock me out." Ray leaned against the wall, arms akimbo.

"And all the times since? I suppose that was just luck?"

"Yep. I just have terrible luck."

"I don't know about that, you're still alive after Apocalypse, the sentinels, the mansion blowing up with you trapped inside, and fighting with me." She paused for a moment, "Speaking of which, does Thomas still want to kill Mystique to defend your honor?"

"I don't need anyone to 'defend my honor', and I could take Mystique if she wasn't always sneaking around, hiding behind other people's faces. And, no, he doesn't... I don't think. He _said_ he wasn't going to try to kill her, but you know how Tom is. He might change his mind again. And I think he still wants to kill Magneto."

"He's smart. Someone has to stop threats like him, or we'll never be safe."

"Is there such a thing as 'safe'?"

"I doubt it." Laura liked Ray's cynicism. "What do you think about this Slither?"

Ray shrugged his broad shoulders. "He'd make a good recruiter for The Mutant Liberation Force, he's smarter than everyone gave him credit for and he's convincing about how dangerous humans are. He also knows as much, maybe even more, about The Serpent People than Thomas. He's also good at poker." He looked around as if he was about to reveal a great secret, "Thomas doesn't even know how to play."

"Looking like that, he's probably suffered a great deal." Kyle had walked over unheard, at least by Ray, "I mean, if guys like you, who look totally human, get treated like garbage, imagine being born looking like a human snake? Growing up as 'Snake Boy'? They may have experimented on him, too."

Both X-23 and Kyle had been subjected to cruel, inhuman experimentation as children. Laura, in fact, had been cloned from Logan by scientists hoping to create their own Wolverine. Kyle had been altered genetically to make him more feral and aggressive.

"He told Tom that Madam Hydra had experimented with his DNA to try and create a serum or something that would turn people into mindless snake people. That chick is really, _really_ crazy, but she didn't experiment on him, just on, I guess blood samples from him."

"I take it didn't work?"

"It did, but it wore off quickly and she was defeated by Captain America. It was covered up and since she tested it in Washington nobody noticed the difference between snakes and politicians."

"Snakes tend to shout, fight and argue less and they have higher morals." Laura said casually.

"Ain't that the truth."

"He's also been stabbed, had bones broken, been beaten."

Kyle shrugged, "Except for the 'stabbed', haven't we all?"

"I've been stabbed repeatedly," Laura said casually, "It comes with having adamantium claws, a healing factor and really sadistic trainers."

"Hey!" Sam Guthrie walked into the room and looked around, "Where's Mr. Logan?"

"Babysitting Slither. And with Storm and Spyke in Africa, maybe we should just bail."

"What was that, Ray?" Logan walked into the room and Ray cringed, "I'm late, but I'm still here."

"You should be more punctual." Laura replied, the only one with the nerve to talk to Wolverine like that, "We were about to leave. Well, the others were about to leave, I was going to begin practice at my own pace. Level 21."

Level 21 was way beyond the level of non-regenerative mutants like Ray, it was nearly Logan's own level. Ray and the other New Mutants had their butts handed to them when that brat Jamie had set the controls to level 19 a few years back.

Oh yeah, Jamie had payed for that once he and Bobby recovered. Who knew Kitty's cooking could actually prove useful for something other than a doorstop or a blunt instrument?

Of course, he could handle level 19 now. The highest DR, officially, was 23, but a few of the teachers could set it higher, to lethal levels, for their personal training. If Thomas found out about_ that_ it would be the 'mansion explosion/Xavier's incompetent' incident all over again. Fortunately higher programs were highly encrypted and set to individual bio-scans, so they couldn't be used against the students.

"Ray, I saw Tom in the weight room."

Ray's eyes widened, "Whatever he said, we were just teasing."

"He said you convinced him to take dietary supplements. Thanks, I can't believe I hadn't noticed how skinny he is."

"I'm his roommate, I see him everyday, I should have noticed before now."

"When people start changing, the people around 'em all the time usually don't notice, if it's gradual enough. Like gettin' taller or goin' grey, one day you look an' everything has changed. I know, I've seen it happen, over an' over again." It was easy sometimes to forget that Logan was at least one hundred years old, likely more. He'd seen generations come, and generations go, but he himself had barely aged. He'd also lost at least one wife, and had a son by her, Akihiro Daken, who didn't particularly like him.

Ray figured that would be more of a curse than a blessing, watching everyone around you grow old and die while you remain the same, and being practically unkillable as well. After a while, it seems like you have to isolate yourself, to avoid the pain, or simply stop caring about other people. Logan preferred isolation when he was in his moods, the forest, the wilds of Canada. There he could just be himself, without the structured world of the school, or society in general.

He'd probably make a good Morlock.

...

To be continued...

Notes

Aaron and Thomas do not have 100% human lineage, at least one of their ancestors was a Serpent Man, a race older than humanity and completely separate, being either spawned by The Elder Demon Set or created by him through unknown means.

Yith first appeared in the_ Spider Man : The Quality of Life_ miniseries and has been in a few other comics. She has the upper body of a woman, with green snake eyes, and the lower body of a serpent. She is a direct descendant of Set. And yes, she is named after The Great Race of Yith from H.P. Lovecraft's _The Shadow Out of Time._

In canon Madam Hydra, at the time leader of The Serpent Society, did create a serum using Slither's DNA and slipped it into the water supply of Washington, DC, turning most of the population, including the President (Ronald Reagan, at the time the comic was published), into mindless serpent people. She was eventually stopped by Captain America and the serum wore off quickly. Everything was reported as a mass hallucination. This was in Captain America I #344. She later used it again with the villain Tyrannus, (and without Slither himself,) to turn drug addicts looking for a cure into more intelligent snake people, but was defeated at various times by The Punisher, (who was briefly turned into a snake man), Moon Knight, Cloak and Dagger, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Daredevil. Madam Hydra stopped using it after that, for some reason, maybe because Tyrannus tried to sacrifice her to Set and got eaten by one of Set's demonic offspring instead... Those batches wore off quickly as well, and Doctor Strange magically cured the last group.


	74. Chapter 74

Snakehead

Chapter 74

...

Thomas Salmons sat alone in the forest, thinking. At least, he assumed he was alone, who knew what kind of monitoring devices the school had scattered about the grounds. It was very intrusive, but he understood the need for protection, even if he didn't always agree with the methods.

He didn't want Magneto or his followers sneaking up to the school and launching an attack, or worse, someone like Mystique sneaking in and blowing the whole place up.

_Again._

Just because he said he wouldn't try to kill her for that didn't mean he had to like her.

He felt something on the edge of his senses, a presence. He couldn't explain how, but he did. He turned toward the presence and saw a large serpent slithering amidst the fallen leaves.

Impulsively, he stretched out his right arm to the creature. It turned, flicking it's tongue, then slid up his hand and arm, its cool, smooth scales felt odd against his flesh as it draped itself across his shoulders, flicking its tongue towards his face. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and it slid down his thin chest and curled around his right arm, the head resting on the back of his hand.

_I can influence it. Maybe even control it... Is this a new mutation, or have I had it all along?_

Thomas hadn't seen a snake, outside of a zoo, in years. Even in the forest here there were few snakes, any venomous snakes had been captured and removed long before he arrived, and he hadn't seen any non-venomous ones, possibly due to lack of prey like rats and mice. He closed his eyes and concentrated deeply.

Within half an hour eight more snakes had appeared around him.

He was amazed as he stroked a shiny, scaly body. He had another superpower, he could summon and control snakes.

Of course, in battle, unless he was in a jungle, a snake pit or The Reptile House at the zoo, it would be fairly useless. The only snakes in the streets of Bayville were the two-legged kind, it could take hours to draw enough to him to mount either an attack or a defense using serpents.

But it was still cool.

...

_"Ka nama kaa lajerama."_

Slither hissed and drew back a bit, a chill running down his spine.

"Interesting reaction." Hank mused, "What does it mean?"

"It's an ancient phrase, The Serpent People called it '_The Words that Unweave_'. The meaning and origin is unknown." Doctor Stephen Strange stood arms akimbo before Slither's cell, "It was used by the Atlantians and other ancient peoples to uncover hidden Serpent Men, or drive them away. It supposedly caused them pain and disrupted, or 'unweaved', their magic. It was one of the greatest weapons against them, used by the likes of Kull and Conan. How do you feel, Slither?"

"Angry." The mutant replied, "I'm not a guinea pig."

"My apologies for any discomfort. I simply wanted to see how much Setian blood flows through your veins. Apparently a substantial amount."

"How did it feel?" Hank asked.

"It made me nervousss. Sssent chillsss up my ssspine." He admitted.

"I wonder if Thomas would the same way..."

"You'd experiment on your own sstudentsss? And you call Magneto sssick?"

"i wouldn't call it an experiment..."

"Thomas has a strong connection the serpents as well, right now he is in the forest, calling them to him. He can summon and control them, though he did not know until today." Doctor Strange stated calmly, "He is in no danger." He looked over Slither carefully, making him a bit self-conscious. He didn't like people staring at him. "It's incredible, I've seen Serpent Men in my travels, and if I did not know better I would almost swear that you were a member of that race."

"They ssstill live?" Slither asked.

"A few, in the dark, hidden places of the earth. Mainly I have seen them in my visions and travels into the past. They were, generally speaking, an aggressive people. They built a magnificent empire built on magic and technology and enslaved most of humanity as workers and food. Eventually humanity rebelled. The humans, of course, went too far in their vengeance and hatred, as they always do, and nearly drove them to extinction. Sadly, we humans are, if anything, even more aggressive and destructive than The Serpent People." He sighed, "The vast majority of the few surviving Serpents hate humanity with a passion and seek their destruction."

"Can you blame them?"

"Is that any better than what humanity did to them? Genocide is a terrible thing, whether against Serpent Men, humans, mutants, or even the Brood or Badoon."

"I'm getting tired of heroesss preaching to me about not wanting to wipe out humanity. I never sssaid I wanted to wipe out humanity. I jussst meant that the Ssserpent Men have good reassson to hate humansss."

"My apologies. I misjudged you."

Slither looked at The Sorcerer Supreme in disbelief.

Did he just apologize?

...

Thomas figured he must have a fairly range of influence, as so many snakes seemed unlikely to all live within a few hundred feet of him. He would have to test this somehow.

Being animals, they had animal minds, foreign to Thomas' thoughts, so they didn't obey his requests via telepathy. Perhaps it was empathy, he pictured an action in his mind, and a snake would perform that action, such as slithering up his arm.

"Impressive."

Thomas looked up up to see Doctor Stephen Strange hovering above him. He'd never met the man, but he'd seen him on television and in magazines, newspapers ad the internet. Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Beast had mentioned something about him possibly aiding their investigation into his family's ophidian ancestry.

"I was rather surprised myself, Doctor."

After having seen, and fought, Set himself on several occasions, Doctor Strange was somewhat leery of serpents and remained in the air.

"Did you learn anything yet?"

"Aaron is much closer to being an actual Serpent Man than we first thought. He even had a negative response to an ancient phrase used to repel them."

"I was wondering about that. About Set's influence. Chthon interfered in the birth of Wanda Maximoff, and Varnae is alive... Well, undead again. Now there are mutants with serpentine characteristics such as Aaron and myself being born. Could Set and Chthon be growing more active and using the emergence of mutants to their own advantage?"

"Yes. Though Varnae holds no allegiance to Chthon. He merely used Chthon and _The Darkhold_ for his own purposes. Set has tried to use mutants on several occasions to return to earth, and that is likely what Chthon intends with Wanda, though I will not allow that to happen." He was surprised that this boy could come up with such a theory, few outside of sorcerers like himself even knew of The Elder Demons, fewer still knew of Varnae, or The Serpent Men. "How do you know of such such things?"

"My great-grandfather Ambrose was a warlock, he practiced black magic and was killed when he summoned Varnae. My family has never forgotten The First Vampire. And I've read his books on The Elder Races, Serpent Men, Man-Serpents, Wolf-Men, Worms of The Earth... And they reference Chthon, Set, Omm, The Wolf Demon and others."

"You'd best be careful, books of magic have their own power, and books on The Black Arts can destroy the mind, or even the soul."

"I don't read his grimoires, my grandfather destroyed most of them, and I have no desire to summon some demon or monster to devour me. I prefer the histories, Valusia, Lemuria, Atlantis."

"Be cautious in such things, nonetheless, magic is interwoven into earth's history. Some sorcerers were also historians. Would you be offended if I looked over your library?"

"I only have three such books here, well, three : _The Egyptian Book of The Dead_, _Lost Races of the Ancient World_ and _Vampyres_. The rest are at our home in New Haven."

"I noticed that you used a technique from _Vampyres_ to try to capture Hellcow."

"I heard that she was captured."

"Yes, she is now in my care. I cannot cure vampirism, but I can ease is effects." He looked down at the boy, "I would think it best if you gave me your great-grandfather's library for safekeeping. There is no need to take _The Book of The Dead_ or _Lost Races of the Ancient World_, the former is widely available and the latter contains little danger and will be useful in your research into your heritage."

"If you say so. But I don't know how you intend to take the books from our family library."

"That's why it's called _magic_."

...

Ray Crisp was sore and tired. Unlike Laura and Kyle, he had no healing factor, and Sam was nearly invulnerable when using his mutant ability to blast through the air like, well, a_ cannonball_. With Spyke gone they'd had to work a bit harder, and he was sure that Logan had made it more difficult for him because of his crack about ditching DR.

After a soothing hot shower he went out into his shared room and found his roommate still wasn't back. Thomas had said something about going into the woods for some time to himself, but it was getting a bit late. If he wasn't back soon he'd be caught in the security system he so often railed against.

Ray shook his head and headed to Xavier's office. As a telepath, he should know where Thomas was and if he was alright.

_There's no need to worry._ Xavier answered before he even left the hallway, _Thomas is on his way back. He's just discovered a new mutant ability, he possesses an empathic bond with serpents._

_You mean he can control them?_

_Not control so much as convince. They come to him and do as he instructs them, but they are not under his domination. He cannot force them to do anything._

Even as they spoke Thomas entered the hallway leading to the room, "Hey, Ray. What's wrong?"

"I thought you'd forgotten about the security system and I'd have to save your skinny tail before you got fried."

Okay, so the security system wasn't lethal, but it was painful. It was also one of Thomas' greatest pet peeves.

"It's alright. I found out that snakes love me and I had a talk with Doctor Strange about my ancestry. He's actually met real, live Serpent People! He's even fought Set himself!"

Ray gave a look of surprise, "So there are still Serpent People?"

"Yes, but I'd rather you not mention it to anyone. They're in hiding for a reason, God only knows what humans would do if they found them." He opened the door to their room and held it for Ray, "We should discuss it privately."

...

"So, are you going to try to find them?"

"They'd likely kill me on sight to ensure no one else would find them. Or just on general principle, I'm too human." Tom lay back in his bed, "It's enough to know they're still out there. I mean, it would be nice to meet actual Serpent Men, peacefully, but that's pretty unlikely."

Ray chuckled, "Too human for The Serpent People, too serpent for the humans... We mutants just can't win." He undressed wearily and crawled into bed. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. DR was murder."

"Was Laura picking on you again?"

Ray wrapped his blankets around himself, "Yeah." He gave an exaggerated pout. "The cooties are making her grumpy."

"_Girls_. Be careful, there's no cure for the common cootie."

"And they're highly contagious, so keep your hands to yourself."

They both got a good laugh out of that. Acting like little boys, talking about girls and cooties.

"You're too much."

"I try." Thomas grinned.

...

To be continued...

Notes -

Due to cold winter temperatures, I'm not sure if snakes could survive in the northern United States, such as New York State. Living in Florida, I've seen a lot of snakes in my time. Let's just say for this story Northern snakes can stand the winter cold.


	75. Chapter 75

Snakehead

Chapter 75

...

Ray watched Thomas in fascination.

The boy was standing front of the bathroom mirror, styling his hair into what he hoped would grow into a large mohawk. He was also singing and 'dancing', but, without his vocal projector, he was merely moving his lips, singing silently to himself.

It was always somewhat odd to think that his chatty roommate was actually mute, only the device he wore around his neck gave him a voice.

He laughed as he managed to read Thomas' lips, a skill he'd pretty well perfected over the past few months.

Of all the songs in the world, why _Suspicious Character_?

_I like all the girls, __and all the girls like me_

_It's not a question of confidence or retribution,_

_I'd do anything to find a solution,_

_Change my name, in 12 states,_

_Just to escape this prosecution._

"Wouldn't '_persecution_' make more grammatical sense?" Ray pointed out.

_You know why?_

_I like all the girls, and all the girls like me_

_They tell me so,_

_They tell me so,_

_I know_

_And while my right hand strives for a noble cause,_

_The left attacks with Roman aplomb,_

Ray misread the words, "_'Roving paws'_? Ain't that the truth," He rubbed his backside reflexively.

_And all the divorcees upon the deportees,_

_Soon enough, will have to fall upon their claws._

_Because,_

_I like all the girls, and all the girls like me_

_If there is no rapport,_

_Let me steal a kiss,_

_Yeah, I was made for only this._

_And if you want one more,_

_Come back to my apartment and I'll show you what it's for._

Ray couldn't help laughing louder at that line, and Thomas shot him an annoyed look.

_I'm all about it_

_I'm all about it_

_I'm all about it_

_I'm all about it_

_Let me shout it_

_I like all the girls, and all the girls like me_

_And every woman says to me:_

He tried to replicate the odd vocals the singer made at that point and just managed to look like a silently yipping dog, which only made Ray double over and clutch his sides in laughter.

Thomas rolled his eyes.

_Oh, darling, don't you know better?_

Ray chuckled playfully, "Did you just call me darling?"

Thomas smirked and Ray knew what was about to happen. He moved to sit down but Tom was faster.

Thomas smacked him on the ass yet again.

"And _you're_ singing about _girls_?"

Another smack.

Ray quickly sat on his bed to protect his hindquarters and Tom went back to fixing his hair.

_They tell me so,_

_That's how I know,_

_S.O.S. That's how I know._

_S.O.S. That's how I know._

_S.O.S. That's how I know._

_That's how I K.N.O.W._

As Thomas had DR today fixing his hair was probably pointless, but Ray did the same thing even when he knew it would get messy and dirty.

Speaking of messy and dirty, how was Thomas going to deal with having to train under Scott again? The two had never really liked one another, and after the New York trip that dislike had erupted into full-scale hatred on Thomas' part. He just couldn't let go.

It hurt, seeing two of his friends acting like this. What made it worse was that much of the tension was over _him_. Scott was a jerk at times, but well-meaning and Thomas was obsessively overprotective of his friends, which included Ray.

"Try to play nice with Scott, Tom."

Tom shrugged.

_That depends on him. _He signed.

"No, it depends on both of you." He replied seriously. "You can't blame everything on Scott."

_I don't blame _everything_ on Scott. I just can't stand him_.

"No, you just hate him."

Thomas didn't deny it.

"If he'd really hurt me, don't you think I'd have kicked his butt by now? I could take him."

Thomas gave a silent laugh.

_Yes._

"So I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I appreciate it, but it will only cause both of us more trouble."

_It's not just you, it's everyone. He's a dick to everyone._

"A lot of people are. Some people think I am, and some think you are. We just have to learn to live with it."

_Actually, _a lot_ of people think I'm a dick._ Thomas moved to his small table and picked up the vocal projector, and put it on. "Maybe they're right."

"We all get on somebody's nerves. Look, I'm not asking you to profess your undying love to the guy, just try not to pick a fight with him. He is a teacher, you're lucky you didn't get in more trouble for sucker-punching him like that."

"I know. I'll try, but no promises. The Dark Side is strong in me... And Scott. And more than one Darksider in a single location, like The Universe, always leads to conflict."

"That's the nature of The Dark Side of The Force. Aggression, rage, conflict, hatred."

"As opposed to the stupidity, ineptitude, impotency and hypocrisy of The Light Side. I mean, come on, who grows an army of billions of intelligent beings for the sole purpose of waging war? How is using clones better than using slaves?"

"_Touche'_" Ray pulled on his jacket, "I'd love to stay here and discuss the morality of _Star Wars_, but I have have a date."

"You have those frequently lately." Tom smiled, "I don't know what I'll do when you get married and move out. My next roommate could be a horrible monster, or an eldritch abomination from The Dawn of Time. Still, it's better than rooming with Scott..."

...

The Danger Room

"Maybe I should wear a utility belt, like Batman. With handy knock-out -" Thomas ducked and barrelled into his opponent's legs, sending him crashing to the ground... On top of him. A quick kick to the groin and fist to the chest knocked the bigger man off, "Ouch! Hey, I'm not in to that, no matter what people say."

"Filthy mutie!" The man pulled a switchblade.

Seconds later the attacker was grasping his broken wrist. The simulation ended instantly and Scott rushed into the Danger Room.

"Hey, he had a knife-" Tom began defensively.

"I know. He wasn't programmed to have a knife. Everybody out of DR, _now_."

For once Thomas obeyed Scott without question.

Scott addressed the assembled team, "Something's wrong with The Danger Room. It might seem like a minor glitch, but who knows what could happen next? I'm afraid DR is cancelled until we get this worked out." He looked at the grinning students, "Don't celebrate yet, we still have the outdoors training course."

"It could be malfunctioning too. I think we should shut it down and do a full diagnostic." Bobby replied.

Scott smirked, "That can be done in less than ten minutes."

The entire team groaned in unison.

"That was fast, Salmons. I've never seen you move like that before, you had his wrist before I realized he was holding a knife."

Thomas assumed a karate pose, "I strike like a serpent, swift and deadly."

Much to his disappointment the rest of the team found this hilarious.

...

A small group of students with nothing else to do found themselves in the mansion's library, just hanging out.

"How long do you think the DR will be down?" Jamie asked.

"Not long. We have the most brilliant minds on the planet," Victor nodded toward Broo, "At this school." He sighed, "No rest for the wicked. Or the teenaged..."

"You can rest when you're dead." Laura said bluntly. She was the only one in the room unhappy that she _couldn't_ use The Danger Room.

"Given the current political climate and social attitudes towards mutants, I would say our chances of dying young are depressingly high." Broo added helpfully.

"Well, I feel better." Jamie murmured.

"I didn't know Brood could get depressed." Todd was perched precariously on the back of a chair, pretending to be Spider-Man.

"Well, I am a mutant among my kind, capable of thoughts and feelings the others deem dangerous and heretical. And a normal Brood is not emotionless, they simply tend to be overwhelmed by the instinctive desire to protect The Queen and propagate the species."

"Not to mention the oppressive, almost omnipresent Hive-Mind and the mind-controlling pheromones Queens give off." Thomas added.

"Of course, that _is_ a factor."

"One that ensures absolute obedience in almost every Brood," Tom put a friendly arm around Broo's shoulders. He could feel the hard carapace through the young alien's school jacket and shirt, "With a few notable exceptions."

"I guess that makes me a rebel." Broo gave a rather fearsome, toothy grin.

"Rage against the machine, Broo. Show The Empress that you're an individual and you just won't take her fascist nonsense anymore."

"Actually, Brood society is a eusocial matriarchy, not a fascist state. In some ways you could call it a theocracy, as The Empress is considered a goddess."

"Maybe she is. You said that not even The Hive-Mind knows her origins and true nature."

"We don' even know your true nature, Dawg." Todd said before he could stop himself.

Thomas cocked his head at an odd angle and looked at Todd curiously through his serpent's eyes. "What do you mean?"

_Crap_. If he said what he was thinking in front of everybody, both Thomas and Ray would kill him.

"I'll tell ya' later, yo."

...

Ray wrapped his strong arms firmly around Scaleface's slim waist and their lips joined in a long, passionate kiss. Their warm bodies drew closer, pressed against one another-

"_Ewww, gross!_"

They both turned to see a child standing there, having wandered from her family picnic.

A woman rushed over, picked the little girl up, and ran back to the rest of the family.

Ray and Scaleface burst out laughing, having to hold onto each other for support.

"I...I can't believe-" Scaleface managed.

"Kids." Ray started to get control of himself, "Maybe we should move to a different area of the park. Somewhere with less people."

"Good idea."

They walked hand in hand down the footpath used by joggers, trying to find a place that seemed suitable for talking and kissing. The leaves formed a glorious panoply of color, turning the footpath into a massive kaleidoscope.

"Beautiful."

"Yes, it is."

"I was talking about you." Ray smiled.

"You're so corny." Scaleface laughed gently, "But I would choose you over any man in the world. Even Dylan O'Brien."

Ray clenched his fists, "Dylan O'Brien!? You think he's hot? How dare he be so good-looking as to -"

Scaleface silenced him with another kiss.

...

To be continued...

Notes

Ray is channeling Yoda.

Lyrics for _Suspicious Character_ by The Blood Arm. And yes, I think they should have used 'Persecution' instead of 'Prosecution'. I also had no idea he was saying 'Roman aplomb' until I read the lyrics, I thought it was 'Roving paws'. And '_Oh darling, don't you know better?_' is a line from the song, Tom wasn't calling Ray 'Darling'.

If you don't know who Dylan O'Brien is, he's an incredibly talented young actor who plays Stiles Stilinski and his demonic counterpart Void Stiles on MTV's _Teen Wolf_, as well as Thomas in _The Maze Runner_ films. He's been in a number of other films as well.


	76. Chapter 76

Snakehead

Chapter 76

...

It was near dusk when Ray returned to the mansion. When he entered his shared room he found Thomas already ready for bed.

"So, I heard there was a glitch in The Danger Room." He said genially, "Anyone hurt?"

Thomas shrugged, "Nobody but the hologram who pulled a switchblade on me."

"Yeah, Bobby said you moved like lightning in disarming the guy."

"I broke his wrist."

"He was only a hologram." Ray pointed out.

"I didn't even think, it was almost instinctive. If that happened in real life..."

"The instructors will help you control that. If I could gain control of my electrokinesis, you can get control of your reflexes." He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his sandals, "Sometimes you have to act quickly, though. Better breaking a man's wrist than his neck."

"True."

Ray looked at Tom curiously, "What are you smiling about?"

Thomas pointed to a specific section of his neck and collarbone.

Ray stepped in front of the mirror.

"Crap."

A bright red hickey was forming on the very spot Thomas had indicated.

"Oh, man! Roberto is _never_ going to shut up about this."

"Good date, huh?"

"Great date. Any day with Scaleface is a wonderful day."

"Oh no... Are you going to be sappy and poetic from now on?"

Ray struck a theatrical pose, "She is like a goddess. Her eyes are like jade, set in alabaster. Her lips are like rubies, soft as the finest silk..."

Tom moaned and fell on his bed "Now I'm stuck with Romeo."

Ray laughed and walked over to his side of the dresser, pulling out a pair of boxers.

"I'm gonna' take a shower, so if you gotta' go, go."

"I'm alright. It's getting colder outside, isn't it?"

Ray turned to him, "Yeah, why?"

"This will be my first winter as a mutant. I'm part snake now, I have no idea how that will affect me."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. If not, there's a lot to do inside." The response was a bit half-hearted, after living in The Alley Ray didn't want to go back to being constantly surrounded by walls.

"I don't go outside much anyway, except for going places with you and the guys, or going to the pool. Sometimes I go into the woods to think, to be alone. But I don't think it would be as nice in winter."

"Trust me, it's not."

"I wonder how it will affect Aaron?"

"Since he's inside a mansion with a very effective heating system, he should be fine, unless he tries to escape during a blizzard."

...

As Ray walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel, Thomas was already in bed. It was hard to tell whether or not he was asleep, with that sleeping mask on. After throwing the towel in with the other laundry, which he noticed was starting to pile up a bit, Ray turned off the lights and slipped under the warm covers of his own bed.

He'd be nineteen in a few months, and he couldn't be a student forever. As an X-Man, having any kind of steady job would be difficult at best. Xavier took care of everything they needed, but what was he going to do with his time when he graduated? What did 'normal' people do everyday? He wasn't one to sit around and watch television or surf the web all day, and the school already had enough instructors. Dividing his time between Scaleface and his duties... How he wished she had come with him! Then they could be like Scott and Jean, not in personality, of course, but in situation. Married (hopefully) and living under the same roof. X-Men... Or X-Persons? and soul-mates all in one.

But reality was far different.

He lived in the mansion, she lived in The Tunnels.

Above and below.

An X-Man and a Morlock.

In the past, they'd even been on opposite sides in a matter, like that filthy mutagenic energy drink. She'd literally run him out of The Tunnels. He didn't blame her, if he had been a Morlock at the time, not knowing the consequences of attacking that factory, he'd have been fighting to destroy it too. Human law didn't look out for mutants all the time, they had to rely on themselves and their tribe. When the mansion was destroyed the police showed up, not to help a bunch of wounded, scared kids, but to arrest them, or worse. They'd only escaped because he and Tabby were strong enough to fight them off.

He wondered briefly how Thomas would fare in battle. He had no long range attacks, only his courage, rage and Junior. Plus training, of course. He was fast and agile, but not physically strong. It might be safer for everyone if he didn't see actual battle, because, given enough incentive or rage, he _would_ bite an opponent. He'd already tried to kill Mystique, and threatened Scott. And Kurt, but he wasn't in control of himself then, having been flooded with enough adrenaline to very nearly kill him. Afterwards he'd felt guilt, but if he actually killed someone he'd never recover. Evan still wasn't the same after killing Bloodscream to save Beast's life, and he was pretty mentally stable beforehand. Thomas was, as much as he hated to admit it, very unstable.

Just a little bit nuts.

But he was nice to most people, a little too 'nice' at times. Despite the pretty much everyday 'sexual harassment', Ray enjoyed spending time with him. He wondered how, if he ever did manage his dream of living with Scaleface, the other boy would deal with being alone.

Most likely by taking Todd as a roommate and harassing _him_.

_The snake and the toad, sounds like a bad combination, but they get along great. And he's already used to Tom's ass-smacking paws too._

He still couldn't figure out why the Hell he kept doing that.

...

4 AM

_Ray, I need you._

Ray shot up at Xavier's familiar voice, _What's wrong?_

_Magneto has recruited a new group of Acolytes and they are in San Francisco . Get dressed and on the Blackbird as soon as possible._

_How do you know what I'm wearing, or not wearing?_ Ray was already out of bed and reaching for his uniform.

_Never mind that._

Thomas stirred slightly in his sleep, but didn't wake. After gearing up Ray left a short, written message on the dresser explaining why he was gone, and headed for the hangar.

...

"This is Unuscione," Xavier displayed a hologram of a relatively attractive young woman with a scowl on her face. She was wearing gold and blue armor. "She posses the ability to create psionic shields around herself and others. She can also use these shields to crush an enemy to death. She's probably the cruelest, most hateful member of The New Acolytes."

"My kinda girl." Logan chuckled.

Another image appeared, of a tall, inhuman reptilian creature. Aside from being bipedal and having two arms, there was little to show his relationship to mankind. Slither looked more human. "This is Seamus Mellencamp, he's physically superior to most humans and mutants in almost every way-"

"Except looks."

"Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability. He also has razor sharp claws and fangs. He's a smart fighter, hard to injure and deadly."

"I call dibs on Lizard Boy." Logan announced.

"You can have him." Kurt said nervously.

Another image appeared, a tall figure completely covered by heavy clothing and thick wrappings, "This is Senyaka. He possesses the ability to create whips of energy that drain the lifeforce of others."

"Like Selene?" Ray asked.

"Similar, but he does not need a physical whip or physical skin-to-skin contact. He creates his energy whips himself. I know little about him, except that he's a murderer."

"Magneto is really aiming high, isn't he?" Scott said derisively.

"He's choosing them on power and usefulness, not ethics." Another figure appeared, a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a long robe and some kind of visor. "Milan. He can read a victim's mind then 'play it back' on a computer or television screen for Magneto and the other's to watch. Don't let his looks fool you, he's a fighter."

Xavier sat silently for a moment, then an image of an attractive, middle-aged woman in the same armor as Unuscione appeared. Xavier looked at her sadly, "This is Amelia Voght. She... We were once very close... But she chose violence." He sighed, "She can transform herself or others nearby into mist, and she can teleport herself and others away. Leave her to me."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The sun began to rise as The X-Men headed toward this newest threat.

...

To be continued...

Notes

All of the mentioned Acolytes are canon in the comic books, though I may have missed something in Milan's powers. Mellencamp is very hard to describe power-wise, he's simply physically superior in almost every way. That hasn't stopped him from being killed, twice. When Jean first saw him, she said "I didn't know Mephisto had any kids."

They took Ray along because Berzerker is a full-fledged X-Man, and Storm and Evan are in Africa. He's a great X-Man, they're just biased toward the 'Originals'.


	77. Chapter 77

Snakehead

Chapter 77

...

Thomas looked over the brief letter Ray had left. So, Magneto was finally making a move. But why San Francisco? Was he going to attack The Golden Gate Bridge? That would draw a lot of attention. Or maybe he was going to 'drop out' and become a pot-smoking weirdo who marches in any protest he can catch in his VW van.

But that would be too much to ask for.

Not for the first time, he wondered about the effects of Ray's powers on Magneto's armor, but the old buzzard had faced down Storm in the past, so it obviously wouldn't help unless he hit him in the face. That would likely kill Maggie, and Ray wasn't a killer.

But who were these 'New Acolytes'? How powerful were they?

They'd find out shortly. He turned on the TV and waited for news of the fight.

...

Magneto stood with Unuscione, Mellencamp, Senyaka and Voght as Milan observed and recorded from a nearby rooftop. As The Blackbird came into view, Unuscione grinned maliciously. "Please, Lord Magneto, allow me to crush these unbelievers in their own vessel."

Magneto shook his head, "No, Unuscione. I want to gauge their abilities, and ours. There are more X-Men than those few. And I believe Charles is aboard, and I want to see his face again."

Mellencamp pounded his fists together, " 'Sides, lass, where'd be the fun in that?"

"Don't call me 'lass', lizard."

He smirked, revealing sharp, pointed teeth, "Me deepest apologies, Unuscione. Would ye prefer 'laddie' or 'sir'?"

She turned and glared at the huge green mutant, "Unuscione will do."

"Aye, Unuscione 'tis, then."

"I wonder how long it would take to suck Wolverine dry?" Senyaka asked, "With his healing factor, it should be slow."

...

As they prepared to disembark, Scott turned to Ray, "Try not to get yourself hurt. If you get so much as a scratch I don't doubt Thomas will blame me."

"Nah, he'd blame Xavier this time. Besides, he knows I'm not made of glass. I'm an X-Man, I come back all the time with bruises and such from DR, and he hasn't attacked Wolverine or X-23."

"That's because he still has some sense of self-preservation left."

...

With the exception of Milan, all of the New Acolytes had lined up in the street to face The X-Men.

Magneto was hovering above, watching them.

"Looks like The Showdown at The OK Corral." Kurt observed.

"Let's hope we're not the Clantons." Ray muttered.

Wolverine grimaced, "He's even uglier in person."

"Ye no prize ye'self, Wolverine." Mellencamp replied.

"I was talkin' about Magneto."

"How dare you speak of Lord Magneto like that!" Unuscione hissed.

"Oh, so it's 'Lord' Magneto now?" Scott observed, "He's not my lord."

"He will lead us all into a glorious New Age, while traitors like you will be left behind to rot." She responded angrily, but Mellencamp decided to respond with his fists. The blow sent Wolverine smashing through a brick wall.

"Yer' gonna' regret that, bub."

"I'll quiet that blasphemin' mouth fer good!"

The battle began with that swing. Wolverine tore into the Scottish mutant, barely making scratches as X-23 a and Kurt squared off against Unuscione. Jean and Scott were keeping an eye on Magneto as Xavier confronted Amelia Voght.

Ray was facing Senyaka.

"So, you're the lightning boy?" The voice was muffled, but gravelly.

"And you're the mysterious soul-sucking S&amp;M guy with the whips."

"Funny. Too bad you chose the wrong side, little boy."

"I'm 18." He began powering up, "I'm not a little boy."

"And I'm not an S&amp;M freak. If you want one of those, San Francisco is full of them." Long whips of white energy appeared in Senyaka's hands, and Ray barely dodged them.

"I'm happy with my girlfriend, thanks."

"These whips are part of me, boy. I can control them as easily as my own hands."

"They help keep you warm on lonely nights, huh?" Ray fired a blast at Senyaka's feet, forcing him back.

"A little advice, kid. Not that you'll live to use it. Always go for the kill shot." A whip wrapped around Ray's extended arm. The pain was incredible, it was like standing in a rainstorm fully powered with Rogue draining his life away.

"Goodbye, _little boy_."

Ray managed another shot, and the bolt struck Senyaka in the chest, knocking him back several yards and breaking the connection. In his desperation Ray had fired a pretty powerful blast of electricity, but not lethal. Senyaka was still breathing, but he was out of the fight.

"Thanks for the advice."

Ray looked at his arm and noticed that the uniform wasn't even torn, but he had little doubt there was a welt where the whip had touched him.

_Ray, are you alright?_

_Yeah, just a little sore. Scared of what Thomas might do to you?_ He grinned.

...

Unuscione caught Kurt in a constricting shield, but he teleported out easily as X-23 delivered a devastating blow to her jaw. The Acolyte fell to the ground, and touched her bleeding lip, "Nice shot. It good to see girls with that kind of power." She swung out and struck Laura in the solar plexus, knocking her back several feet. "What the Hell are your bones made of? Adamantium?" She yelled, rubbing her injured hand.

"Yes."

A kick struck her in the face, and she managed to snatch a long blue tail and slam it's owner into the ground. She put a boot on Kurt's chest, "You're cute, for a traitor. Maybe Lord Magneto will let me keep you as a pet." She swung out and knocked X-23 away as Kurt vanished.

"Playing hard to get, Blue Boy?"

A blast of energy struck the distracted Acolyte from behind, knocking her unconscious.

"You know," Scott said as he walked over, "I _really_ don't like her."

...

Mellencamp had Wolverine by the throat, squeezing. He knew he couldn't break his bones, but he could strangle the life out of him.

"Ye' canna hurt me, ye hairy runt. Me skin's too tough."

Suddenly he screamed and grabbed his head.

"Maybe, but your mind is wide open." Jean noted as Mellencamp passed out.

Logan stood shakily, breathing in deep lungfuls of air. "Thanks, Red."

"My pleasure."

...

Magneto frowned. His New Acolytes had failed, but only due to ill-luck and inferior numbers. Several of The X-Men had barely escaped death. He needed more soldiers, but the incident with Stryker had tarnished his image among mutants. Many saw him as a failure, a fraud and a fanatic.

They would learn the truth soon enough.

...

Amelia stared at Xavier sadly. "Isn't it ironic, Charles, that you espouse peace but make war? You refuse to fight against humans who attack you and your students, but you will fight against other mutants. Tell me, how do you justify that?"

"We didn't come here hoping for a fight, we came here to protect the people of this city. If we wanted a fight we'd have attacked you and Milan." Xavier reasoned, "Moral implications of attacking civilians aside, any attack on humans, provoked or otherwise, will turn the public and the government against us. The Sentinel Program is just one example of how humans act when they are frightened by mutants."

"Humans will always be afraid of mutants, and rightly so, for we The Inheritors, they are the old, we are the new."

"So you kill them? Indiscriminately? I can't believe you would do do that, Amelia."

"I assure you, we are anything but indiscriminate. And we do not employ_ children_ to fight our battles for us."

"We talked about this when I set up the school. Mutants, especially children, need a safe place to live and learn about their powers."

Amelia arched a brow, "I seem to remember your school exploding with children inside due a self-destruct system you yourself installed."

"And Magneto activated it, by Mystique's hand."

Amelia shifted uncomfortably. It was true that Mystique had trapped those children inside the school and activated the self-destruction sequence Xavier had so foolishly programmed. There was no denying that was a targeted attack on children, one that was very nearly lethal.

"What evidence do you have that Lord Magneto ordered Mystique to do that? From what I understand, she does as she pleases, even when she worked for Lord Magneto she pursued her own agenda."

"Because he told me himself. Do you really admire a man who would blow up a school full of innocent children?"

"No one is innocent, I've learned that the hard way. And one day, so will you."

"You can run from the truth, Amelia, but you can never escape it. I was at fault for installing that damned self-destruct sequence that everyone keeps throwing in my face, and I've had to make peace with that grave error in judgement. But I wasn't the one who activated it, and I'm tired of people acting as if I were. Erik ordered it, and Erik took credit for it." There was anger in his voice, something rarely seen by anyone, "Your beloved 'Lord' Magneto is a murderer with no sense of morality whatsoever."

"And you are an irresponsible, naive old fool." Magneto's voice rang out behind him, "Sacrifices must be made in times of war. We must do things that would be considered monstrous in times of peace. Those 'innocent children' are your _army_, your _soldiers_. You are the one who put them in harm's way, and you are the one who put the bomb beneath their feet."

"It's sad," A new voice rang out, "That a boy who survived the Holocaust should grow up to be a monster just like the Nazis who killed his family."

Magneto swung around to see Berzerker standing nearby.

_Ray, don't do this!_ Xavier's voice rang out in his head, but he ignored it.

"People like you try to justify every evil by saying you are at 'war'. The Nazis did 'monstrous things' in wartime, did that make it right? They became monsters themselves. Everyone has an excuse as to why they hurt innocent people, and all of it is bull. Al-Qaeda and ISIS say they're doing God's will. The Church of Humanity says the same thing. They hide behind God while doing Satan's work. And you, what do you intend to do if you win? Kill everyone who disagrees with you, like you tried to kill me and all those other kids at the school? Put all humans in concentration camps? What _are_ your plans for humanity, Mr. Mutant Messiah?"

All three stood there, staring at him with wide eyes. Magneto opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was trembling, but from rage or some other emotion no one could tell.

"_We_ were not soldiers." He said finally, "We did nothing to provoke the Nazis. The humans have done everything in their power to exterminate us. You mentioned The Church of Humanity, they teach that you and I and every other mutant on earth are the Spawn of Satan and should be slaughtered. So I strike at them before they can strike us."

"You strike at _everyone_, Magneto." Ray replied, "You don't care who you hurt, as long as you get what you want. You want a war, you want people killing each other in the streets. And then you think you'll swoop in and save mutantkind. You're strong, stronger than most mutants, and sure as Hell stronger than me, but you can't deliver mutants to The Promised Land with a wave of your hand. You're_ not_ God, and you're_ not_ The Messiah. You're starting a war that we'll all lose, mutant and human."

Magneto was surprised that this normally hot-headed, reckless child would dare speak to him in such a manner. Articulate, scathing and striking at the heart of his beliefs and teachings. Impudent and impressive. "If I'm not mistaken, _Ray Crisp_, your own family abandoned you to die in the streets when your mutation developed. That is the way humanity is. You can point out a human here or there that is willing to live with mutants, but most are like your parents. Full of such hate they deny their own child."

"And you did a wonderful job of giving _Wanda_ the love and care she deserved, didn't you?"

Magneto raised his arm, and Ray fell to his knees in agony. It felt like something inside of his veins was trying to force itself out.

"Erik, for God's sake, stop!"

"There is no God, Charles."

Ray forced himself to continue through gritted teeth, "Y-you can't... Defend... What you... do... so you have to kill...me."

Magneto lowered his arm and Ray fell to the asphalt.

"You're willing to die to prove a point." Magneto said as Xavier telekinetically lifted Ray and set him in his arms, "Such a noble quality. A pity we are enemies." He turned back to Amelia, "I think we're done here."

"You... You never did... Answer me." Ray was in too much pain to be embarrassed by the fact he was sitting in Xavier's lap, wrapped in his arms.

"Whatever I say, you will disagree." Magneto said softly. He noticed Wolverine barreling towards him, murderous rage twisting his features. "Any day now, Amelia."

Magneto and his Acolytes vanished.

...

At the mansion, everyone was glued to their televisions and computers. What no one had known was that the entire exchange had been caught on someone's cell phone and streamed live.

Thomas Salmons sat on his bed in shock. Someone was knocking on the door, but he didn't hear them.

Ray was alive, but he was hurt. Badly, from the look of it.

That tinfoil bastard must have done something to his blood.

"Thomas, are you alright?"

Thomas turned to see Beast in the doorway, he had gotten the master key.

"I wonder what his parents are thinking." He said softly, "I hope they feel like garbage."

...

The medical wing,

Everyone was crowded around the hallway outside, Ray had many friends and all were concerned for him. Thomas and Scaleface had managed to basically force their way in to see Ray. Scaleface sat beside his bed, holding his hand as Thomas sat near the wall.

Xavier was near Beast, who was running tests as quickly as possible, while Dr. Sugarman was running extrapolations on a nearby computer.

"Magneto was manipulating the metallic content of his blood. It's amazing he survived, much less stayed conscious as long as he did." Beast shook his head, "He'll live, but he needs rest."

"What about lasting effects?" Scaleface asked numbly.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Dr. Sugarman said. His head was so huge in comparison to his body he could not turn to look at her, "But you have to understand, we've never dealt with this kind of event before. It doesn't happen naturally. But the damage was not severe, from what I can tell. So far all of the projections are good that he'll make a full recovery."

"Thank God." Scaleface said, "And I don't care whether that lying idiot believes in Him or not, I do." She looked down at her boyfriend angrily, "When he wakes up, I'm going to_ kill_ him for being so _stupid_!"

"I need to call Andrew. Let him know his brother is still alive." Thomas pulled out his cell phone, keeping his eyes on his unconscious best friend.

Andrew Crisp answered the phone at once. "Tom? Is Ray going to be alright?"

"He's going to be fine. He's sleeping now. That bastard was messing with the metals in his blood, but everything's back to normal. He just needs rest."

"Are you sure? Messing with somebody's blood, that's, that's sick."

"Yes, it is. But the doctors here are saying he'll be okay." He paused, "If you want, I can have you flown down here. No charge." He didn't bother asking permission, but he didn't care at the moment. "I'll send a car to pick you up. Are you at home?"

"Yes. I'm at home. What about my parents?"

"They can go to -" He caught himself, "I don't know. Whatever they say, the offer's open. If they want to come, they have a right to see their kid." _No, they don't._ He thought angrily, but Ray did love his parents. If they refused to let Andrew come, his driver would have orders to _persuade_ them. He wasn't about to deal with bigoted scum, not now.

"Okay. I'll ask."

"They didn't come after the mansion exploded, did they?"

"No." Andrew said sadly, "No they didn't."

"Hold on, I'll call the a driver for you."

...

A few minutes later,

"He'll be alright, though Scaleface is going to kill him for pulling such a stupid stunt." Thomas said wearily.

Todd grinned, "Nobody's ever talked to Mags like that. He's got balls, yo. No brains, but balls."

"Once they're sure he's alright, they'll probably move him back to our room. How we'll work that out with Scaleface, I have no idea."

"You could let her have your bed and bunk with Scott."

"It would probably be better to let Andrew use my bed, being his brother and all. Scaleface would be in the girl's wing, anyway. And no way in Hell I'm bunking with Summers. I'd sooner bunk with Herman. I know it's wrong of me, but his mutation still makes me queasy."

Having skin and muscle made of transparent, highly flammable paraffin that he could rip off and fling at his enemies, along with his all-too visible internal organs and skeletal system, Glob Herman was one mutant Thomas just couldn't seem to get used to. The fact that he rarely wore any kind of clothing made it worse...

"Why are we going here?" Todd asked. They were in the containment area, where Aaron was being held.

"I want to make sure no one forgot to feed Aaron during all this..." He couldn't think of a suitable word.

Slither watched the boys approach, his expression unreadable on his serpentine features.

"Isss Ray...?" He was genuinely concerned. Ray was one of the few people at the school willing to talk to him without looking down on or condemning him. And Magneto was a bastard, even in Slither's eyes.

"He should be alright. He just needs rest." Thomas sounded tired himself.

"I doubt Magneto will feel ssso good when he realizesss the entire thing wasss caught on video. He looked like a hypocrite and a monssster. He got hisss metaphorical assss kicked in an ethicsss debate by an eighteen year old ssstreet kid, and the only way he could ressspond was to try to kill him."

"Evil people don't need reasons, they just like to have excuses, justifications." Thomas said bitterly. "When those are exposed as lies, they have to kill their exposer, to protect their own lies. They can't stand against truth, so they must silence it."

"What isss truth, really? I know you and even Ray don't agree with everything Xavier teachesss-"

Thomas cut him off. He wasn't in the mood for discussing moral relativism today, not with Ray hurt. "We don't act as terrorists, murdering innocent people to make our point."

"Aren't you forgetting that I am a 'terrorissst'?"

"You aren't the one I'm angry at." He took a deep breath, "Do you need anything? Has anyone brought you your food yet?"

"Yesss. Logan brought it by. He wasss in an ill mood and russshed. For obviousss reasssonsss." He pointed to a plate sitting on the small table in his cell. "You ssshould ressst. You look like Hell."

Thomas gave a humorless smile, "I can't. I have to make sure Ray's brother gets here safely and is taken care of."

"Isssn't that Xavier'sss job?"

"Not when I'm bringing him here by one of my father's private jets and arranging for him to be picked up by one of our drivers. I should meet him at the airport, too. He knows me, he doesn't know anyone else here."

His cell phone rang, it was Richard.

"Is Ray alright?" Was the only greeting.

"Yeah, he'll be alright. He's just exhausted right now."

There was a sigh of relief, "I'm glad to hear it. Tommy and I thought he was dying."

"He was, until Magneto let him go. I don't know why he did, but I'm glad. Scaleface is here, and his brother Andrew is coming by jet from New York."

"How are you doing... I mean, your temper problem?"

"Right now I'm too busy to be angry. Besides, Magneto and Senyaka are probably on Asteroid M right now. I hope they find a nest of Brood waiting for them."

"Brood with powers like Magneto and his Acolytes? I don't think that would be a good thing."

"True..."

...

To be continued...

Notes

Magneto is Jewish by birth, not faith. His parents were religious, but he lost all faith in Auschwitz.

A number of Acolytes worshipped Magneto as The Messiah, or even a god, in the comics canon. Here they feel the same way, to differing degrees. Mellencamp and Unuscione are fanatic in their devotion, Vogt is willing to question him, though she's smart enough not to do so out loud.

Metals present in human blood are copper, iron, zinc, chromium, manganese, molybdenum and selenium. I'm not sure of the specific effects of magnetism on most of these elements. If I missed any, please let me know.


	78. Chapter 78

Snakehead

Chapter 78

...

"I'm fine, really. I can walk to the room myself, you know."

"Doctor's orders," Hank said as he pushed the wheelchair into the small elevator. "You need rest."

Ray hated it, even if it was _slightly_ possible that he couldn't walk up the stairs at the moment. Still, it was better than being carried around like a baby. While he had been in the medical ward he'd had a lot of visitors with flowers, cards, small gifts. It was embarrassing, being so weak in front of everyone, and he hurt all over. But, on the bright side, he'd unknowingly made Magneto look like a hypocrite on social media. Hearts and minds, as Thomas kept saying. People like Magneto had to be exposed for what they were, so honest people wouldn't fall for their lies.

As soon as they reached his room he stood up and walked in. He knew it was unlocked as Andrew, Scaleface, Thomas and probably Todd were waiting for him.

"Now I don't want you exerting yourself. Only get out of bed when you have to, like to shower or use-"

"Yeah. I get it." Ray cut in, having no intention of staying in bed the whole time. He crawled into bed fully-clothed, he wasn't going to undress in front of Scaleface.

"Well, I guess our rematch is on hold." Andrew smiled.

"You wish, Annie. I'll be outta' this bed and beating you at any sport in no time."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Rachel." He gave Ray a playful bump on the arm, "You might be able to save the world, but you can't stop my mad skills"

"You are very skilled... At having your butt kicked by me." Ray grinned, "If I can't get up, I can still beat your sorry self at any video game we can smuggle up here."

"Hey, Scaleface. What exactly do you see in my loser brother?" The tone was teasing, of course.

She put an arm around Ray's shoulders, "Ray's brave, loyal, shy, sweet, smart, funny, a bit wild, very romantic, ridiculously attractive and has a cute butt."

Todd stuck his finger down his throat and made a choking noise.

"I think Tom agrees with you on the last point, yo."

Three pairs of green eyes glared at Todd.

Andrew just laughed. "Apparently it's Ray's best feature."

"Thomas," Ray said, "You now have my permission to slap my brother's ass whenever you feel like it."

Andrew was honestly surprised when Thomas immediately took advantage of the new situation.

"HEY!" Andrew jumped slightly at the slap to his rear.

Ray smirked, "Welcome to my life, Annie. Every single day he does that to me at least once."

Scaleface glared at Thomas, "Why do you insist on putting your hands on my boyfriend?"

"I have no idea. I just do it. It's... I really don't know."

"He does it to most of the guys, but as his roommate I can't avoid him as easily."

...

That night,

Thomas had given up his bed to Andrew and was staying in an empty room nearby. It would be odd for Ray, waking up to see his brother's face in the morning after being away from his family for so long. He was grateful for the opportunity and for Thomas' generosity in flying Andrew here and making sure he was able to spend time with him.

"So, this how you're living now, huh? Pretty fancy." Andrew sat on the edge of Thomas' bed, facing his brother. "A guy could get used to this."

"You've only been here a few hours. You haven't seen The Danger Room, or met Scott, or been trampled by fifty Multiples on the way to breakfast. You've never had to suffer the agony of Kitty's cooking... This place can be sheer Hell." Ray was sitting cross-legged on his own bed. He was supposed to be lying down, but he couldn't stand it. Ray looked his brother in the eyes, "Mom and dad... What did they do? Are you going to get in trouble for this?"

"No. I don't think so. They weren't happy, but they were too distracted by all the media and threats to care."

Once Magneto mentioned Ray's family name and his parents' abandonment of him, reporters and locals had swamped the Crisps with requests for interviews, the CPS had started an investigation, pro- and anti-mutant protesters had begun bothering them, and they had received more than a few death threats, some for abandoning their child, others for having a mutant child in the first place. Both Ray and Andrew were glad that the latter didn't have to deal with that, though some news agencies had petitioned Xavier for interviews with Ray, which he had declined due to Ray's health and out of respect for his privacy.

Of course, their eldest son's safety was not a topic of concern in their minds. But they were still his parents. They'd given him life. Even if they didn't care anymore, he still did.

"Are they in any danger?" Ray asked.

"I don't think so. Tom said he 'knew some people' who dealt with this kind of thing. He even offered to hire me a bodyguard!" He laughed, "Sometimes he makes me think of _The Godfather_."

"He seriously does know how to hire an assassin. His brother and his brother's friends are mercenaries. Were, anyway, Richard quit when he was domesticated." He shook his head, but was smiling, "The other groomsman at the wedding was a mercenary called 'Roach'. He was a pretty cool guy, had an awesome purple mohawk."

"A fifteen-year old with assassins at his disposal? That's kinda scary. Rude neighbors? Bullies? Don't like your teacher?" He made his hands into a gun-like shape and said "bang!"

Ray rolled his eyes, "He's never actually had anyone bumped off, I don't think he could deal with it. He's not a bad person, he just has a temper, like me."

Andrew decided to change the subject.

"That Scaleface is a real fox." Andrew grinned deviously. "Better watch your back..."

"She's off-limits." Ray glared dangerously.

"But your roommate can molest_ me_ whenever he wants?"

"That's different, you're just my brother. She's my future wife."

"You asked her..."

"No. Not yet. I'm saving up for a couple of rings. Thomas offered to pay, but he just doesn't understand. It wouldn't be _me_ giving her the ring, it would be _him_. Since he was raised rich, he doesn't understand how important it is to earn some things yourself. I mean, I appreciate it, and he's a great guy, but this is something _I_ have to do, not someone else."

Andrew swallowed hard, this had been bothering him for a while now. "Ray. Did Tom get me that scholarship?"

Ray shook his head in the negative. "No. He was as surprised as I was. I'd know if he was lying, he's a terrible liar. He was happy for you, though."

Andrew exhaled a deep breath. "I'm glad."

"So," Ray grinned, "Are you keeping your grades up, or chasing girls?"

"Hey, I can make good grades and chase girls at the same time!" He smiled, "I've started working harder, studying more. Even history. My grades are going up, I'm not gonna' fail whoever picked me for that scholarship."

"It's 'going to', not 'gonna'. You still have work to do in grammar." Ray teased.

"My grammar's better than yours."

"My grammar_ is_."

Andrew made a fist, "You don't think I'd hit a sick guy?"

"Give me a little while, and I'll kick your scrawny butt into next week."

"_Right_." Andy lay back in the fresh sheets and pillows. The bed was so comfortable...

"Oh, Andy, a word of advice. If you see an Asian girl in a yellow jacket or a blonde with two buns in her hair, go the other way as quickly as possible." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "And if you see a pink gelatinous blob with a human skeleton and organs inside, don't scream 'Oh my God it's_ eating_ him!' Glob Herman doesn't have a sense of humor, unless he's hurting somebody else."

...

"That boy made me look like a hypocrite." Magneto fumed, viewing the cell phone footage of his confrontation with Berzerker.

"Do you want me to kill him for this blasphemy, Lord Magneto?" Senyaka himself had a score to settle with the young electrokinetic. That blast had left him with a severe burn on his chest and minor damage to his lungs. It could be repaired with their advanced technology, but it would take time.

"And make a martyr of him? No. I learned my lesson with Stryker. I tried to move decisively and openly, and many mutants condemned me as a delusional psychopath. This time I will be more subtle."

"I want to kill him." Senyaka growled, "For the pain he has caused me."

"And _I_ say he lives, for now. Or are you questioning your master's judgement, Senyaka?"

The heavily clad Acolyte knelt before his lord. "Forgive me, Lord Magneto. I was a selfish request."

"_I_ am the authority here. _I_ am your Lord and Master. My will, _not_ your's, is what you should concern yourself with. Remember that, and do not question me again. I shall not be as forgiving next time."

"Thank you my most merciful Lord." Senyaka backed out of the room, bowing repeatedly.

"Idiot." He mumbled under his breath. He hated having to suffer fools. "Milan."

The dark-skinned mutant entered the room and bowed, "Yes, Lord Magneto?"

"Show me everything you saw. I want to gauge The Acolytes' actions, understand their mistakes. We will be prepared, next time."

"Of course, my Lord." Milan's powers activated, and several nearby computer screens began showing his observations of the battle in San Francisco.

...

Thomas lay awake in bed. It was strange, being in a different room, alone. He was used to being alone before, but he was spoiled after coming to Xavier's, having a roommate. Still, he was glad Andrew was here and able to spend some quality time with his brother. He was disappointed, but not terribly surprised, that their parents had not come.

He wondered if they'd accuse him of kidnapping, after all, he did have Andrew brought to Bayville without bothering with their permission. But his lawyers could intimidate them into not pressing charges.

God, sometimes he sounded like a gangster.

Morality was something difficult for him, at least when it came to money. Bribery was a lot faster than dealing with useless paperwork, powerful friends could deal with annoyances, major and minor, very quickly, as Duncan had found out. And if you had money, why _not_ use it to help your friends?

Was it right, from an ethical viewpoint?

Probably not.

But it was pretty much the only way he knew of to get things done.

Speaking of getting things done...

Senyaka had survived, thankfully. Not that Thomas was glad he was alive, he was just glad that Ray wouldn't have his death to agonize over, even if was well-deserved.

Maybe he'd get lucky and the dog would get shot out an airlock. Thomas knew it was wrong, but he wanted both Senyaka and Magneto to suffer horribly for what they had done to Ray. He wondered if Junior's fangs could penetrate the layers of clothing Senyaka wore. For all he knew, the guy was wearing armor under all those lairs. He wouldn't put it past Iron Pig to have a triple identity, businessman, Avenger and super-villain all at once. Or maybe he was a robot...

He yawned silently and curled further into his blankets. He could worry about that in the morning, right now he was exhausted.

...

To be continued...

Notes

Yes, Ray uses bad grammar as well. He's just being an annoying older brother.


	79. Chapter 79

Snakehead

Chapter 79

...

True to Ray's word, mornings were chaotic at The Xavier Institute. He was lucky Xavier had their breakfast sent to their room, as the dining room sounded like a battlefield.

There had been clothes in the dresser when he arrived in his size and style, including new shoes. He didn't know who to thank, he'd packed, of course, but they it was nice that people were thinking about him. Ray had told him a bit more about the school, it's students and staff. He was surprised that they were actually holding a prisoner in the mansion. It didn't seem very smart to Andrew to have a convicted terrorist locked up inside a school, even if he was related to one of the students.

Eventually he'd had to venture out to talk about the situation with the Professor and Doctor McCoy, (Dr. McCoy, just like on _Star Trek_), with Thomas as his guide. He'd seen and met some odd-looking kids on the way, including the transparent blob boy with visible bones and internal organs, which nearly made him lose his breakfast. Jeez, the kid could at least wear a coat to cover it up. He had no desire to see somebody's kidneys and bladder as they walked by, and certainly not their bowels and intestines.

Angelo seemed nice enough as Thomas introduced them briefly before continuing on their way.

Several of the girls and that green-scaled boy had commented on how attractive he was, and he'd barely managed to avoid the blonde Ray had warned him about as he made his way to Xavier's office with Thomas, after another slap on the ass, naturally. He wondered just what was wrong with the kid as they came to Xavier's door.

"I'll wait outside." Thomas said as he took a seat in a chair, one of several near the door. It looked eerily similar to the principal's office at school, a place he was well acquainted with, having inherited the Crisp family temper. He knocked softly.

"Come in."

Xavier was seated behind a large desk, smiling. Behind him stood a big, blue-furred, bespectacled beast in a lab coat and trousers. Dr. McCoy looked nothing like DeForest Kelley. Xavier did bear a strong resemblance to Patrick Stewart, however.

First Xavier then McCoy held out a hand to shake, McCoy's hand being twice the size of Andrew's.

"Please be seated."

...

"Ah, yes. Mr. Salmons has a way of circumventing my authority, though in this case I believe he was in the right to bring you here. You obviously miss your brother, and I know he misses you, and now that he's ill it will help his spirits greatly to have you with him."

"So, you don't mind if I stay for a while?"

"Of course not. We sometimes have the families of our students stay with us for a time if need be. I'm concerned, though, about your parents. I doubt they'd appreciate me showing up at their door with you to explain where you've been."

"They kept me away from my brother for almost six years now. I don't particularly care what they think."

"But you're still a minor, and need your parents to care for you. Where would you live if they threw you out? I mean, we'd gladly take you in, but it is a long way from your home and friends, and adjusting to an almost entirely mutant school would be difficult." His tone softened, "I know you deeply resent them for what they did to Ray, which most people would rightly condemn, but I know that both of you still love them."

"I keep hoping that they'll just open their eyes, y'know? Just look at Ray and recognize him as their son, my brother. Right now all they see is a mutant, and they hate him. I don't know why, they just hate mutants. Even their own son."

"Hatred is probably the most blind, narrow-minded, irrational emotion humanity is capable of. It needs no reason. Some people are raised to hate others, some hate because they were led to believe it was right by charismatic hate-mongers like Magneto or Stryker. Some blame an entire race or people for the actions of one individual who they feel wronged them. But most are afraid. They fear things that are new, different. Things that force them to look at the world, at life, in another perspective, perhaps one they are uncomfortable with. They fear that their world will change, and they can't handle that. They would rather forsake their own flesh and blood, some willingly kill themselves and others, just to keep from having to look at another point of view."

"Basically bigotry is a form of cowardice."

"Well said, Andrew. I wish there were more people like you, the world would be a better place."

Andrew blushed and shifted in his seat.

"If your return goes... _Badly_, you're welcome to stay here. I know without even asking that Thomas has doubtless offered to adopt you or something similar if your parents don't accept you." He smiled, "The boy has a warm heart, he just tends toward extremes when he sees a friend in pain."

"Uhm... Do you happen to know why he keeps slapping guys on the a-_Butt_?"

Xavier laughed again at Andrew's_ faux paus_, "It's a way of showing affection. Not romantic affection, more like, being close friends, trusting someone. Of course, he also does it to annoy people at times. He's not used to interactions with other people his age, and he's found annoyance to be a way to attract attention, even if it is negative. Ray was a lot like that at first, a young man with a lot of anger who felt the need to be the center of attention. He was one of the three most infamous pranksters at our academy."

"Men in my family tend to be rowdy and fun-loving. What my principal likes to call 'hooligans'. Just having fun, you know."

"Well, Ray has become a fine young man here, and I can't take credit for all of it. He's a hard worker, loyal, brave, a natural leader willing to put himself in harm's way to protect his fellow students. I get the feeling you share those qualities too."

"Thank you, sir."

...

"I didn't even recognize Gillian Anderson at first. She's changed her hair style and she's so thin now. I hope she's well." Thomas sighed, "I'm glad they brought them back, if only for six episodes."

"I can't believe they brought William B. Davis back. I was sure The Cigarette Smoking Man was dead." Wanda replied.

"Only extras really die on _The X-Files_. Well, most of the time."

The door opened and Andrew came out. Thomas and a girl dressed in red and black, presumably the Wanda Maximoff Ray had mentioned, were sitting in the chairs near the office, chatting.

"Oh, hey. Andrew, this," Tom stood up and indicated the girl, "Is Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch. Wanda, this is Andrew Crisp."

They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you."

"Thanks. I see good looks run in your family."

Andrew blushed shyly, "Thanks. But I have a very jealous girlfriend."

"Lucky her. I hope you have a good time while you're here. This school can get a little weird, like when Herman sets himself on fire and runs around like an idiot or Bobby decides to practice his stripping in the old ballroom." She smiled deviously "Of course, Bobby's stripping isn't _bad_ weird..."

"Wait, one of the students here strips at school?!"

"Bobby's 19, and he locks the door when he dances, but sometimes he'll give out invites to those of us who are old enough. The old man doesn't like it much, but it's how he makes his money..."

She didn't specify which 'old man' didn't approve of Bobby's stripping, but Andrew assumed she meant the Professor. Of course, he might enjoy it as well. You never knew with guys like that.

"Bad weird is when Kurt catches a cold and teleports at random every time he sneezes. Having a fuzzy blue elf fall on your head out of the blue is not as funny as it sounds."

"He fell on you intentionally, remember?" Wanda smirked, "He was going to beat you up for threatening his mother, but you mutated and threw him into the pool."

"Oh, yeah... But he's accidentally fallen onto other people. Or popped into a room without his clothes, or..."

"Maybe we should take Andrew to meet him?"

Thomas shrugged, "He doesn't like me anymore after I said I wanted to play basketball with his mother's head."

"Dude, you suck at everything about basketball but blocking, using a head as a ball ain't gonna help you." Andrew laughed hoping that Thomas wasn't serious, but not entirely sure.

Thomas scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm. A head is the wrong shape, weight and resiliency for a basketball. The force needed to make it bounce would probably be enough to crack-"

"We don't wanna' know!" Wanda stuck a finger down her throat and Andrew gasped in shock.

"I'm joking." Thomas assured them, "I'd never be so careless with a body."

Andrew shook his head, "Man, you are nuts!"

"All the world's an asylum, all the people, merely patients."

They couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Ray sure has some strange friends." Andrew observed, "Why don't you introduce to me some more people?"

"Of course."

As soon as Thomas turned Andrew slapped him hard on the ass.

Thomas just laughed and kept going.

They suddenly stopped in their tracks as a tall young man with ruby-lensed sunglasses turned the corner. He, too, stopped and paled at the sight of Thomas and Andrew. He quickly recovered "Hi, you must be Andrew Crisp. My name is Scott Summers, I'm one of his former teachers and his teammate in The X-Men." He turned his head ever so slightly toward Thomas, "I'm sure you've already heard a great deal about me..."

"Thomas told me that you taught my brother how to work with a team and helped make him into a leader. From what Ray said, I was expecting him to attack you on sight, but he's only said good things about you."

Scott's expression changed from uncomfortable to confused to suspicious. He turned his head toward Tom. "Really?"

"It's true. I might not agree with you, but your methods do work, sometimes."

Thomas Salmons had just given Scott Summers a compliment, albeit a back-handed one. Wanda was sure that was one of the Signs of The Apocalypse. Both she and Scott stood slack-jawed for a moment.

"I... Well, thank you, Thomas." There was still a bit of distrust in Scott's voice, as if he expected Snakehead to lash out and bite him any second. He held out his hand to Andrew, who shook it firmly, "Welcome to The Xavier Institute. I hope you enjoy your stay here, and we're all praying for a quick recovery for Ray. He's one of our finest X-Men, and a part of our family as well."

Andrew smiled, "Thank you. I know Ray appreciates everyone thinking about him, and he's already determined to get back to the team."

Scott watched warily as they walked away.

He's up to something. He has to be.

...

To be continued...

Notes

DeForest Kelley played Dr. Leonard McCoy on the original_ Star Trek_ series.

Beast's name is Henry McCoy.

Yes, Bobby (Iceman) Drake is a male stripper in his civilian life. It's an in-joke between me and untouchable hexing witch.

Thomas and Wanda are referring to Fox running a six episode_ X-Files_ 'season' at the time I'm writing this chapter. Since Tom is such a huge _X-Files_ fan he'd be going fan-boy crazy.


	80. Chapter 80

Snakehead

Chapter 80

...

Seattle, Washington branch of The Church of Humanity,

"Every day the mutant demons are growing more numerous, more powerful!" The priest slammed a fist onto the podium, "As if that is not enough they are bringing in alien vermin and Satanic creatures to help them. If the government will not protect our rights as human beings, our God-given dominion over His creation, then we must take up arms and do so ourselves!"

Congregation members stood, shouting in approval. Since the public martyrdom of Rev. William Stryker at the hands of Magneto, many were flocking to the cause he championed in life.

"Don't be deceived, brothers and sisters! Mutants speak with forked tongues, those who speak of 'equality' and 'peaceful coexistence' are merely trying to lull you into a false sense of security! Even if they believe it themselves, it is not in their _nature_ to treat us as anything but pests to be exterminated!"

The church doors flew off the hinges and collapsed onto the rear pews, trapping parishioners beneath.

"It is in our nature to hate you, to call you vermin, to exterminate you?" Magneto walked slowly toward the podium, easy brushing aside any resistance, "Need I remind you of Adolf Hitler? He was a prime example of humanity, intolerant, hateful, murderous, merciless and without any redeeming qualities."

The Acolytes stormed in, Senyaka holding two church guards in his whips, Unuscione fighting anyone who came near, Milan recording and Mellencamp blocking the exit.

Amelia Voght appeared on stage, stunning the guards there with a small device.

"As much as I hate to admit a mutant could be right," The priest said fiercely, "That kid was right, you are a hypocrite, you're just like Hitler!"

A cable whipped down from the ceiling and pulled the struggling priest into the air.

"It appears your 'demons' have arrived early."

"See! See with your own eyes, what a mutant truly is! A force of evil, destruction! They want to destroy us a-" A cable wrapped around his mouth none-too gently, silencing one of the madmen in the room.

No one dared approach the door, not with a creature that appeared to have crawled out of the pits of Hell itself barring the way. Some tried to flee to the back, behind the stage, but were knocked back by invisible barriers.

"You wish to fight us?" Magneto's voice was almost gentle, "Then we will be glad to oblige you."

...

The X-Men scrambled to get the team ready to face The Acolytes again. The attack on The Church of Humanity had come as a complete surprise to everyone, Magneto striking again so soon after his battle in San Francisco. Hank, Logan, Laura, Scott, Jean, Sam, Kurt and Kubark headed for the hanger, though Kubark, show-off that he was, intended to fly there himself.

Andrew Crisp walked past rushing students and X-Men and back to his brother's room.

Ray would almost certainly be disappointed that he wasn't able to help.

"What's going on?" Ray asked, standing in the doorway.

"Magneto attacked the headquarters of The Church of Humanity in Seattle, he and his Acolytes are holding a bunch of hostages." Andrew clicked his tongue disdainfully, "Doesn't he know the whole 'hostage' thing rarely works in the end?"

"He's more interested in publicity than actual conflict. If something happens he'll just have that Voght lady teleport them all away. Just like last time. Ray walked back to his bed and sat down as Andrew sat across from him.

"Magneto's out there and I can't even walk down the street. This sucks."

"He's lucky. You'd fry that tin-headed fool like a chicken."

Ray sighed, "Yeah, we all saw how that worked out last time didn't we?" He noticed that Andrew was alone, "I take it Thomas is trying to weasel his way aboard?"

"Yeah." He grinned, a wicked gleam in his eye, "Your_ boyfriend_ sure is protective."

Ray hit him with a pillow, "He's _not_ my boyfriend! I'm proudly _straight!_"

Before Andrew could reply there was a knock at the door, it was Thomas, to no one's surprise. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw Andrew. "I thought I'd lost you! I thought the girls had grabbed you and were doing unspeakable things to you!"

"_Jealous_?" Andrew laughed.

"Frustrated. They're taking Kubark. _Kubark!_ Kid Gladiator, the guy who destroyed half a planet during a temper tantrum!"

"The purple kid with the mohawk and the Superman costume?"

"Yeah, he's got powers like Superman but not much self-control. He's also the Crown Prince of a huge intergalactic empire."

Andrew ran his fingers through his hair, "So, what happens if he blows up half the planet?"

"I think he more destroyed the city that covered most of the planet, not the planet itself. But we're so close the school would get leveled for sure, along with most of the Northern hemisphere from here to Mongolia." Ray laughed, "But that's not likely to happen." He grabbed Thomas by the waist and pulled him down next to him, "Snakehead here would drive him off."

"Who else is going?"

"Beast, Kurt, Laura, Wolverine, Sam, Scott and Jean."

"Too bad Evan and Storm aren't back yet."

"You know what you guys desperately need?" Andrew asked, "More transportation." He answered his own question. "You have one jet that can carry a few people, but what if you need to move everyone quickly? You can't pile them all into Tom's _El Camino_ and drive away. Even that bus I saw wouldn't hold half the students here. I'd ask Xavier for at least another bus, or better yet, a plane that can carry a lot more people."

"A plane would have to be pretty big to carry everyone. Maybe a couple of planes used for transporting troops, modified, of course. Some of those planes are flying caskets."

"We have alien tech at our disposal, we could build a freakin' flying saucer big enough to carry everyone."

"First Maggie attacks San Francisco, and now Seattle... Maybe he's focusing on The West Coast to buy himself more time to cause havoc and destruction." Thomas observed.

"Maybe you guys should should do like The Avengers, have East Coast X-Men and West Coast X-Men." Andrew suggested, "That way you wouldn't have to scramble to chase the bad-guys down."

"That's a great idea," Ray replied, "Xavier has actually mentioned it a few times, but right now we mainly have students here, not actual X-Men. Once those of us who are older are able to handle responsibilities like actually running a school and training facility, managing finances, teaching students, leading teams and planning out battle strategies, he'll probably do just that."

"Speaking of The Avengers, why aren't_ they_ after Magneto?" Thomas asked.

"I think they said something on the news about Ultron trying to overthrow some country in Europe. They're probably busy with him. Or is Ultron an 'it'? It doesn't have a gender, does it?"

"It's like C-3PO or R2-D2, it's sexless, but has a masculine personality, so they refer to it as male."

Andrew paused thoughtfully "Does that mean The Reavers are genderless machines with male minds?"

"All except for Lady Deathstrike, she has a lot of organics left. Or maybe not. Donald Pierce can create incredibly lifelike, functioning prosthetics for his cyborgs. I hear Pretty Boy is a ladies' man. They probably have some way of recreating a realistic, working pe-"

"Perhaps we should change the subject to what really matters right now? My hair." Ray groaned and ran a hand through his hair, which was clearly suffering from bed-head. "I can't have this." He looked over at Thomas' buzzcut and small 'mohawk', "You are _not_ having cooler hair than me."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

...

Seamus Mellencamp felt a slight scratching sensation on his back.

"'Oi, Lord Magneto. It's that wee Canadian an' 'is pals."

"Let them in." Magneto ordered.

He smiled and stepped aside, allowing The X-Men entry.

...

The church was in shambles, injured parishioners calling out from under the heavy doors, others lying unconscious, or worse, in the aisles and pews, the remainder huddled against the walls in terror. The priest was still struggling with a metal cable holding him suspended several feet above the stage, one end stuck in his mouth, presumably to shut him up. Jean quickly lifted the doors and set them aside as she and Hank rushed over to the injured.

Magneto stood behind the pulpit flanked by Amelia and Unuscione, with Milan standing in the aisle recording whatever sermon the man had been giving. The dark-skinned man turned to look for a moment at the intruders, then turned back to his Lord without comment.

"How nice of you to make it to my service." Magneto stated flatly.

Scott sneered, "Are you going to talk about how you'll part the Red Sea and lead your people to The Promised Land? If you're going for miracles, I like the 'feeding the hungry and healing the sick' ones myself."

"Such a small mind." Magneto gave a heavy sigh, "I suppose not all mutants are endowed with_ true_ vision."

"The only thing I see, bub, is a lunatic who thinks he's The Messiah."

"Young Mr. Crisp is a much better conversationalist than any of you rabble. I trust he's recovering?"

"No thanks to you." Logan growled deeply

Magneto's calm facade broke in rage. "_All_ thanks to me! I could have ripped the blood from his veins had I wanted! But I decided to show mercy, a quality I have seen too long denied my mutant children!"

"You _have_ children, and you_ abandoned_ them. I imagine you would do little better with an entire species under your tender care." Hank scratched his furry head, "How about, just for a change of pace, a bit of spontaneity, we skip the battle, you leave and let emergency services tend to the injured? What do you say? Let the... I hesitate to call him 'gentleman' down safely, let the hostages go, and we can all go our separate ways like civilized men."

Magneto gave a hand signal and The Acolytes moved to attack.

Hank sighed loudly, "That's what I expected you to say."

"Less talking more punching!" Kid Gladiator rushed up and punched Mellencamp in the jaw, knocking him through the stone wall of the church and into the street beyond.

"I have to agree with the kid on this one." Logan unsheathed his claws.

Senyaka pulled out his whips and Unuscione smirked.

Then it began.

...

To be continued...

For a while in the comics, Pretty Boy was just a human-looking head on a 'bare-bones' metal skeleton, punishment for angering Donald Pierce. He later got a more human-looking body again, but he hated Pierce for that. There is very little organic material left in any Reaver except Lady Deathstrike, Cole, Macon and Reese. I think Lady Deathstrike downloaded herself into a new, human body recently, but I don't know if she has 'enhanced' it yet.


	81. Chapter 81

Snakehead

Chapter 81

...

"Finally!It is time to eat your teeth, Magneto! Kid Gladiator will beat you to a pulp!" Kubark rushed toward Magneto but was snared by his cape.

"Huh?"

"Ye're a bit thick, ain't ye?" Mellencamp pulled on the cape, using the momentum to send Kubark crashing through the same wall he'd just been thrown through. The whole church shook, dust and plaster falling from the ceiling. "I'm indestructible!"

"Kurt!" Scott shouted.

"Already on it!" Kurt was teleporting as many civilians as he could out of the building while Hank was running back and forth, carrying wounded outside.

A massive blow struck Jean on the back of the head, sending her sprawling.

Unuscione stood over her, "Heathen fool. You fight to save those who hate you and reject our Lord!? You don't deserve to live in our new world."

A blast of energy struck Unuscione, knocking her through several rows of pews as Scott rushed to Jean's side. Suddenly Milan was in front of him.

"I don't have time for this! Out of the way. I don't want to fight you."

Milan frowned, "Why do people always assume I'm a weakling?"

"What are you going to do, _flashback_ me to death?"

A powerful right hook to the jaw answered that question, followed by a roundhouse that sent Scott to the floor. On his way down Scott tried to snag Milan's leg with a sweeping kick, but the man was too agile.

"Okay. I'll never mistake you for a non-combatant again. Unlucky for you." Scott blasted Milan in the chest, sending him crashing through the already destroyed pews, out cold.

"A dirty trick! No one does that to Kid Gladiator!" Kubark shouted as he flew in through the hole his body had created in the wall, ramming into Mellencamp's abdomen. The reptilian mutant gasped and fell over, clutching his stomach in pain.

"How?" He gasped. His body was almost impossible to harm.

"That's easy. I am just better than you." Kid Gladiator punched him in the face, knocking him out.

Meanwhile, Logan and Laura took on Senyaka, whose attempts to ensnare them in his whips was proving ineffective. It was like they had boundless life energy, he couldn't harm them. Both slashed his whips, causing a painful feedback that caused him to crumble to the floor.

Logan jumped on his chest and stuck his claws inches from the man's heavily wrapped face.

"Let's see what's under all those bandages, scum-bag."

Magneto was about to call on Amelia to teleport them away, but a black and yellow blur collided with his chest, cracking his armor and possibly breaking some ribs. Sam Guthrie stood over the half-conscious madman.

"That's for Ray you sorry piece of trash."

Amelia Voght considered her options as The X-Men who were not restraining the others moved toward her and her barely conscious Lord.

There was only one option.

Before anyone could stop her she had teleported the entire team away.

"Cowards! Come back and fight!" Kid Gladiator shouted into thin air as the building began to collapse around them.

...

The X-Men returned home victorious, but covered in dust and debris.

"Do you know how long it will take to wash all of this dust out of my fur?" Kurt griped.

"Not as long as it will take me." Hank mumbled.

"I had a chance to smash Magneto's face and that stupid Melon person ruined it!" Kid Gladiator was proud of his defeat of Mellencamp, but disappointed he wasn't able to punch Magneto at least once.

"But you sure cleaned his clock." Hank reminded him, "Not even Logan was able to do that..." He looked at the small Canadian, "No offence intended, of course."

"None taken. Give credit where it's due. Kid Gladiator took down the guy Xavier said was superior to us in every way. He won't be feelin' so superior when he wakes up covered in bruises for the first time in his life."

Jean giggled, "I still can't believe he called you a 'wee Canadian'. That sounds so _cute_!"

"Anyone repeats that and I go to claw city on their face." Logan growled. "Nothin' 'cute' about me, Jean."

Sam was silent, replaying events in his head. He wasn't the type to fight in a church of all places, even if he didn't agree with what was taught there, and he was sure he'd seriously injured Magneto. He was powerful, at full speed he could hit with the force of a small meteorite, but he wasn't a violent boy by any means. His parents had brought him up polite, hard-working and religious with emphasis on The Golden Rule. Fighting never made him happy or gave him a thrill like it did Kubark or Wolverine. He'd lost it with Magneto. Ray was a friend, they'd been friends since had arrived with the other New Mutants, and he'd wanted revenge. And the fact that there were several dead bodies lying around because of that tin-plated idiot made him even angrier. He was a bit ashamed of himself for being so violent and vengeful.

There was no way Maggie would forgive this. He'd find some way to strike at him...

...

Magneto lay in Asteroid M's infirmary, wincing as the alien tech reset his broken ribs.

"I'll kill that little redneck bastard." He hissed.

Most of The Acolytes felt the same, but if Lord Magneto wanted to punish the boy personally, it was none of their business.

Seamus Mellencamp sat aside, still stunned that he could be knocked out by a mere boy. He was indestructible, he'd never felt real physical pain since his Awakening as a mutant. Apparently this brainless bairn was some kind of alien prince who with potentially limitless strength and invulnerability. He was too new an addition to Xavier's school to have a useful profile, and apparently they held him back for the direst of emergencies.

That, at least, gave him a bit of pride. He was so powerful none of The X-Men could possibly hope to defeat him, so they brought in the equivalent of Superboy to deal with him.

They'd succeeded in destroying the church and killing several of the members while simultaneously involving The X-Men, who would be given nearly equal credit for the rampage in the media. Then that inbred heathen had injured Lord Magneto himself, forcing a full retreat in shameful defeat.

There would be retribution.

No one harms Lord Magneto and lives.

...

Xavier was concerned with this new wave of attacks Magneto and his Acolytes had launched, and their consequences. Seven humans had died during the attack in Seattle, over twenty had been injured. Along with the tragic loss of life and his inability to send The X-Men quickly enough to stop these West Coast attacks was the fact that once again mutants, all mutants, were being lumped together as violent, radical criminals with no regard for human life. Not everyone believed that, of course, but enough did to cause great concern as to the safety of mutants everywhere.

There was also the fact that Magneto had clearly been injured, and that made him even more dangerous. He had known Erik for years, before he went truly mad and became a terrorist and mutant supremacist. He was not a forgiving man, and never had been. Not toward his friends, allies or enemies as the former Acolytes and Brotherhood members could attest.

...

"You actually cracked his armor? That must have been some hit!" Ray exclaimed, "I didn't think it was possible without killing him."

"Yeah," Sam scratched the back of his head, "Nobody'd done it before, and I was open. So I took the shot. I think I broke some of his ribs." He added guiltily.

"You actually hurt Magneto?" Andrew asked in awe. To normal human, mutants like Magneto seemed untouchable, almost god-like in power. To imagine him being taken down so easily was shocking.

"Yeah. I didn't really mean to hurt him, I just wanted to take him out of the fight. Cut off the head of the snake, like they say." He turned, "No offence, Thomas."

"None taken. I guess he'll hole up in Asteroid M for a while, plotting his revenge."

Sam shrugged, "That doesn't mean he won't use his Acolytes to stir things up."

"I could bite him, in the face, where his mask doesn't cover-"

"No Tom, we're not killers." Ray reminded him, as if he needed it, "And we don't intend to let you anywhere near him anyway."

"_We?_"

"Everybody besides you knows you might try to kill him given the chance. That would only make things worse, he'd be a martyr, like Stryker." Ray sighed, "Besides, the only way you'd get close enough to strike him would be if you teleported into striking distance or he walked past you for some reason. Otherwise you'd end up with your blood scrambled before you got anywhere close to him. And since he knows who you are and what you can do, he's not likely to come near you."

"What if he attacks the school, again?" Andrew asked the question no one else wanted to lend voice to.

"We have defences, and he'd be facing everyone, including Kubark. Besides even if he wants to kill us, he doesn't want to kill the Professor. He wants him to live to see how he failed and how wrong he was."

"Tom," Sam asked, "Why do you always talk about killin' people? Do you really _want_ to kill people?"

"No. At least, not unless I'm _really_ angry. It's mainly just talk. For instance, I hate Magneto, and I have no way to do anything to him. I can't fight him, I don't have the power to face him. All I have is my voice and my bite, and my voice isn't even real. I attack him the only way I can, with words." Thomas shrugged, "Not that there haven't been times I was mad enough to kill. When I found out Magneto had Mystique blow up the school with everyone trapped inside, I wanted to kill them both. But what good would it do? Kurt and his sister would lose their mother if I killed Mystique, and I bet she has tons of children out there, having lived so many fake lives for so long. And it also won't undue what she did. I want her in jail, preferably for life. Killing Magneto would make him a martyr, just like Ray said. Right now many mutants see him as a violent sociopath who thinks he's The Mutant Messiah. If someone kills him, the people sitting on the fence as to whether he's a good guy or a bad guy will probably see him as a victim, a hero who died for mutant rights, and a lot of mutants would flock to his cause, despite how violent he is. That being said, I still wouldn't trust myself to be within striking distance of Ol' Bucket Head."

"Okay, who are you, and what did you do to Thomas Salmons?" Ray asked jokingly, "First you're _nice_ to _Scott_ of all people, now you're talking about _not_ wanting to kill Maggie and Mystique and making a good argument why you shouldn't." He narrowed his eyes, "Are you really a Skrull in disguise?"

"Therapy, remember? I'm trying to get myself under control."

"He's a Pod Person! A Body Snatcher! A _Thing_!"

Thomas threw a pillow at Ray's head as they laughed.

...

To be continued...

Notes.

Kid Gladiator is about at Superman level, and when he gets angry or confident, which he almost always is, he gets even stronger. Mellencamp might be more resilient than most earthly mutants, but Kubark is not from earth, he's a Strontian. I wonder if he's affected by Strontium the same way Kryptonians are affected by Kryptonite?

Bairn is an old Scottish word referring to a small child.


	82. Chapter 82

Snakehead

Chapter 82

...

It was a cold, rainy day, and none of the students really cared to venture out into it, which was exactly why Several instructors decided to have them practice outside.

Andrew Crisp watched from the window as the students ran a mock combat simulation, "I guess you guys have to train for everything?"

Ray was pretty much recovered, but Dr. McCoy still hadn't cleared him for duty yet, and both brothers were glad for the extra time, even if it was boring sometimes.

"Having Storm helps, but otherwise we can't do much about the weather besides hope Magneto is afraid he'll rust." Ray grinned, "We've fought in some awful conditions in the past, and you know my powers don't mix well with water. That's why we learn to fight hand to hand."

"That, and the fact you never know if they'll come up with something to take your powers away."

"They already have. I wonder how Slither can stand it having that thing around his neck, keeping him from using his powers. It's scary that something like that even exists, but with people like Magneto running around, it's a good thing they do."

"What exactly do they plan on doing with that guy?" Andrew wondered aloud, "I mean, I don't even understand why he's here."

"Dr. Sugarman and Hank needed him for an experiment, a DNA test. He's related to Thomas, and they wanted to find out about his connection to ancient Snake People. Xavier's trying to reform him, but it won't be easy, he's looked like that his entire life, and people have never accepted him anywhere. So he's pretty angry and bitter towards humanity."

"I suppose I can't blame him. But not every human is bad, and not every mutant is good." Andrew flopped onto the bed and frowned, "I'm gonna' have to go back soon."

"What about... You know?"

"They're upset, but they want me to come back." There was a hint of guilt in his voice, as they hadn't even asked to speak with Ray, much less call him home.

"That's not your fault, we're all responsible for our own actions, not other people's. Even if those people happen to be our parents." He smiled, "Besides, I'm living the good life here."

Andrew looked at him skeptically, "'The good life', huh?"

"Yeah, when I'm not being blown up, electrocuted, beaten, chased by sentinels or having my blood scrambled."

"Livin' The Dream, bro. Violent mobs, giant robots, and a senile idiot with a metal fetish and a stupid hat."

"I wish we could collar that jackass. Without his power he's nothing but a geezer with anger-management issues."

"You know, I don't understand how those collars can work. Think about it, if you somehow got one of those things on Dr. Sugarman, or Kyle, or Slither, mutants whose abilities are purely physical, how can they suppress that? Dr. Sugarman would still have four arms and a giant skull and razor sharp teeth, and all the muscles that come with it. Kyle would still have his claws, fangs, muscles and knowledge of fighting. If you put one on Thomas, Junior wouldn't just vanish anymore than Slither's scales and Snake Man body have." Andrew scratched his head, "What are Slither's powers, exactly?"

"He can stretch any part of his body and use it to constrict his opponent, like a boa or a python."

Andrew smirked, "_Any_ part of his body?"

"I'm sure he can stretch_ that_, too, but I'm not interested in finding out. But you make a good point about the collars, how can it suppress someone's physical abilities? Maybe it screws with the brain-muscle connection somehow. Maybe it's all psychological, they don't believe they can use their powers, so they can't."

"What exactly did he do, anyway?"

" Well, according to his file, he's killed people. Not like, randomly or anything, but in fights. He doesn't kill often, but taking one life is too many. He was a member of HYDRA and The Serpent Society, and Madam Hydra used his DNA to create a mutagen that temporarily transformed most of Washington, DC into mindless Snake People."

"Are you sure it was only temporary?"

"No." Ray chuckled, "But since the Serpents tended to work together, I doubt it. I don't know if he knew about that beforehand or not, so that may have just been her. Whatever the case, he's dangerous."

"Speaking of dangerous, when you're not so weak, you'll have to show me your full powers."

"Weak!? I'll show you my powers alright! I'll fry you!" Ray jumped on Andrew and they began wrestling playfully.

...

Slither looked out the library window at the miserable weather. He'd been given more freedom to move about, rather foolish in his opinion, and had hoped to at least walk the grounds. He hadn't been outside, other than brief moments during prison transfers, in well over a year.

"We can get you a thermal-regulated suit." The voice at his side remarked. He looked down at his relative, "My costume... I mean, _uniform_ has an internal heating system if the temperature drops below a certain level. It's also waterproof." Thomas explained.

"Xavier thinksss of almossst everything, doesssn't he?"

"He's a very intelligent man when he's not being a total idiot." Thomas could feel Logan's stare of disapproval.

"I'm sssurprisssed he hasssn't punissshed you for insssubordination."

"He has, he even tried to screw with my mind. But I'll never understand what possessed a supposedly intelligent man to-"

"Plant a ssself-destruct sssyssstem inssside a ssschool and make it imposssible for the kidsss to essscape. Yesss, you've mentioned it. _Frequently_."

Logan snickered a bit. Not that he didn't agree with Thomas on the stupidity of such an act, but the kid just wouldn't shut up about it.

"It's that bad?"

"Everyone knowsss how you feel about it. Mossst of usss agree, but we don't want to hear it over and over again."

Thomas looked at Logan, who nodded in agreement.

"I guess it's worse." He admitted, "Okay, I'll try not to harp on it anymore. Unless someone asks. Or we have a new student. Or visitors."

Logan face-palmed.

"I think yer missin' the point, kid. The point is, shut yer trap an' quit whinin'. Nobody who was here when it happened whines about it, not Ray, not Jamie, not even Boom-Boom, and she gripes about everything. It was a stupid mistake, it's over and done with an' remindin' everyone, especially Chuck, ain't gonna' help anybody or change anything."

Thomas looked at him with those odd serpent's eyes, "I never thought of it that way. I'm just dredging up painful memories. There's absolutely nothing constructive about complaining over the past instead of looking to the future."

Logan wanted to clap, but he settled on a pat on the back.

It was an odd moment, the two of them were both 5'2", and Aaron towered over them at 6'9". But Logan had taken down much bigger creatures, like the Wendigo and The Hulk, and wasn't the least bit intimidated. Even without the collar Slither didn't have anything that could hurt him. His adamantium bones weren't exactly fragile, and choking him to death before getting slashed to death was highly unlikely. And he apparently had little actual combat training, relying almost solely on his powers. He could probably street-fight or brawl, having grown up looking like a Serpent Man he'd doubtless been in many fights. But actual training? Not likely.

"I'm surprised we aren't surrounded by protestors, considering what happened in Seattle." Ray's voice cut through their thoughts, "When Stryker was killed, we were pretty much under siege."

Ray, Scaleface and Andrew walked into the library, there wasn't much to do considering the weather and the state of Ray's health.

"That doesn't mean it's safe." Logan replied.

"For usss, it isss never sssafe." Slither replied.

Being around 6' himself, Andrew didn't feel especially small at the sight of Aaron, but he was quite impressed, he wasn't used to having to look up at people.

"I was wondering about that too, especially since The X-Men were actually there during Magneto's attack. The media sure wanted to blame us." Thomas commented.

"They always want to blame us, it's easier than actually checking the facts. Plus, some of those COH idiots probably told them The X-Men were working with Maggie."

"It's not like people_ believe_ everything they hear online or on TV right?" Andrew's voice had a strong tinge of sarcasm, "Maybe Nixon was right, and we're all just a bunch of mindless sheep eating whatever garbage the politicians and media throw at us."

"Why do you think we live in hiding?" Scaleface replied, "We can't trust the outside world."

Slither looked at her oddly, he had no knowledge of The Morlocks, and she certainly wasn't going to go into any kind of detail with an incarcerated terrorist, even if he was fighting for mutants.

"Asss I sssaid life isss _never_ sssafe for usss."

...

To be continued...

Seriously, how do those collars work on physical mutations?

They can also come up with things to make your own powers destroy you. Like The Legacy Virus.

Ray is 6' 2" is this story, in Evo canon he's 6'. In the main Marvel Universe, Berzerker, Ray Carter, is 6'3" and Scaleface is 5'7" in canon and in this story. Andrew is 6' tall and is an OC.

Slither doesn't know that Andrew is human. I doubt he'd care much, as he isn't a threat or an enemy.


	83. Chapter 83

Snakehead

Chapter 83

...

Andrew set his soda on the table, "You know, next time you guys fight Magneto, you should probably take down the teleporter chick first."

Ray shook his head, "It's not that simple, Andy. Amelia Voght is The Professor's old girlfriend. I doubt he'd take kindly to someone knocking her out."

"His former best friend and his former girlfriend are fighting against him? Together?"

"Don't forget his step-brother, Juggernaut." Thomas chimed in. "His son David sometimes fights against The X-Men, but it's not his fault. He has multiple personalities, like 12 of them. Two of them are extremely dangerous, the rest are mostly harmless."

"Man, that's a lot of bad luck." He paused, "Wait, is this David his kid by that Amelia woman?"

"No. He's the son of a different girlfriend, Gabrielle Haller. His name's David Haller, but his code name is Legion, because he has so many personalities." Ray explained, "He's about my age, and he's a telepath, probably just as powerful as The Professor, maybe even more powerful. He's tried to cure him several times, but the personalities are so strong-"

_I would rather you not discuss my son and his condition. Please respect his privacy, if not mine._

Andrew nearly jumped out of his seat, "What was that?"

Thomas looked up toward the ceiling, "That was Xavier. He's right about David's privacy, I shouldn't have brought him up. But he seems to have conveniently forgotten _ours_."

There was no reply to that remark.

"See. Living in a house with a bunch of telepaths sucks." Thomas glared brazenly at the ceiling. Andrew was beginning to suspect that Tom was even more crazy than he appeared. He certainly seemed to have little respect for authority.

"How did we get on this topic again?" Ray asked.

"I asked about that teleporter, his former girlfriend. Then we started talking about Xavier's family problems, like we don't have enough of our own."

"That was my fault." Thomas admitted, "I brought it up."

"Well, like I said, we don't want to fight her, and it wouldn't do much good as she can turn herself, or us, into a cloud of mist. I don't know if she'd bother to put us back together again."

"It must take incredible mental power to retain your mind when you're nothing but a cloud of mist."

"Hey! You must be Ray's brother!"

Everyone turned to see Jubilee bounce happily into the room.

_Oh crap. _Both brothers thought in unison.

"You're as cute as he is." She sat down beside Andrew, popping a big bubble of chewing gum. "I can't believe you've been here for days and I haven't even seen you once! It's like you were in hiding or something."

"Well, you know Ray. He's practically helpless on his own."

Jubilee giggled and Ray shook his head.

"Sorry, my _little_ brother was dropped on his head repeatedly as a baby."

"By _you_, probably. I'm Andrew Crisp, by the way. I'm the smarter, better-looking brother."

Ray rolled his eyes, "Poor baby's delusional. I should get him back to his crib."

"I'm Jubilee. Nice to meet you."

"Thank you." Andrew smiled.

"He has a girlfriend." Ray interrupted.

"Lucky girl."

Ray sighed mournfully, "Blind and deaf, poor thing..."

"That's an awful thing to say!"

"My brother's always been a mean one," Andy gave an exaggerated pout, "He has a severe inferiority complex. Of course, in my case it just happens to be true."

"You want to take this outside and see who's inferior, _Annie_?"

"Bring it on, _Rachel_!" Andrew stood up and soon the brothers were playfully wrestling on the floor.

"Are all brothers like this?"

"Probably. Roughhousing is a way of bonding, I think. I'm several years younger than Richard, so he couldn't play too rough."

Ray and Andrew were laughing, rolling and slipping out of each other's holds like professionals.

It was kind of cute, actually.

Finally Ray got Andrew in a headlock and began vigorously rubbing his knuckles into his brother's scalp.

"Give up?"

"Heh, I've been going easy on you! Wouldn't want to hurt you in your delicate condition."

The way he said 'delicate condition' sent Jubilee and Thomas into a fit of laughter.

"That's it brat! No more Mr. Nice Guy!"

But Andrew had used the distraction to break his hold and tried to pin him down by putting his knees on his shoulders, only for Ray to grab him with his legs and throw him off balance.

After a few more minutes with no clear winner the tired boys decided to call it a draw before the dinner crowd arrived.

...

"Man, it's cold outside, Dawg." Todd stated emphatically, "It's the rain mostly. You're lucky you didn't have to go out in it."

"I guess this means amphibians trump reptiles?"

"I resent that!"

"You resent a lot of things, Vic, most of them true."

Anole crossed his arms and glared.

Kubark snorted derisively, "All earth creatures are inferior to my race."

Andrew snorted right back. "You mean egotistical purple punks?"

"I mean Strontians, earth weakling."

_The Brood can adapt to live anywhere. Give them an aquatic host, and they can take the seas, an aerial host, and they can take the skies-_

"It's only fair to point out that many of my race possess wings naturally." Broo commented, "I possess wings, and when they are fully formed I will be able to fly."

"Kid Gladiator does not need wings to fly."

"That's because Kid Gladiator is held aloft by all that hot air." Andrew snickered.

"No, I can naturally control the forces of gravity, why would I need hot air?" Kubark obviously didn't understand the insult, or why everyone was laughing.

"Andy, that's Kubark. Remember, the one who blew up half a planet in a temper tantrum." Ray whispered in warning.

"I did not destroy half of the planet. I merely destroyed half of the Aerie that covered Chandilar. And it was not a temper tantrum. I was right and nobody would listen, so I made them listen."

Andrew turned to Thomas, "I'm sorry I said you were the craziest kid here, this guy is completely insane."

Kubark chose to ignore the lesser beings and finish his lunch in peace.

It was then Todd decided to snare a drumstick from Kurt's plate with his tongue.

Within seconds all Hell broke loose.

...

"I can't believe that happened..."

"I can."

Ray and Andrew jostled a bit for control of the shower head.

"I'll kill that little blue rat for getting mashed potatoes in my hair!"

After the massive food-fight the brothers returned to Ray's room and decided to share the shower as they were both covered in sticky foodstuffs. Fortunately, it was big enough for the both of them.

Andrew laughed at his brother's ruined liberty spikes, "Does this happen a lot, or is it only for visitors?"

"Usually it's worse. Thank God nothing hit Quintin! He nearly killed Magneto once just for annoying him..."

"Doesn't seem like it would be much of a loss." Andrew replied softly, "Especially after what he did to you."

"You sound like Thomas. I don't know why, but he's really overprotective when it comes to me."

"Maybe he_ loooooves_ you!" Andrew smirked. His smile fell quickly, "But Magneto almost killed you. I wanted to kill him when I saw you suffering like that."

Ray gave a deep sigh, "Yeah, it hurt. It put me down for a while, scared the Hell out of me. But I know that, in the end, Magneto is just a pathetic old man who has good reason to hate people. That doesn't excuse him, but it explains him. I'd feel sorry for him if he hadn't repeatedly tried to kill me and all of my friends..."

He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.

"But thank you. For caring. You're the only family I got left, Andy."

...

After both boys dried off, Ray wearily pulled on clean boxers and Andy didn't bother, deciding to sleep naked. They crawled into their respective beds, exhausted. It had been quite a day, but they'd both enjoyed it. Well, except the food in their hair. After they were warm and cozy under their blankets Ray looked over at his younger brother.

God he'd grown so much...

"Don't wet Thomas' bed,_ baby brother_."

"Why, is this where you two make out?"

"No, I just don't want your smell in here once you're gone."

"I love you too."

"God, I wish you could stay. Having your ugly face around makes Scaleface appreciate my good looks more." Ray smiled at his brother.

"G'night, John-Boy."

G'night, Annie."

...

To be continued...

Notes-

Ray and Andrew really do love each other (in a brotherly way). They just show brotherly love by insults and roughhousing.

Thomas and Ray are not, nor will they ever be, in love/lust. Andrew doesn't really believe that, either. He's just being a bratty little brother. Thomas is just annoying, weird and likes slapping guys on the ass, and Ray, as his roommate, is first in line. Did I mention he's crazy? Another tragic case of Affluenza, too rich to know better... Please help in the search for a cure for Affluenza, for all the rich kids who are too spoiled to know right from wrong.

David Haller/Legion here is more like the comics version than the Evo version. Complete with broom hair.


	84. Chapter 84

Snakehead

Chapter 84

...

Thomas Salmons admired his hair in the bathroom mirror. The mohawk was coming along nicely, but it needed a bit more growth, say, a foot.

Moderation was not Thomas' strong point. Or modesty, for that matter.

_Let your Freak Flag fly, baby._

He stepped out, dressed in his distressed jeans, mesh t-shirt, studded leather jacket and Doc Martins. The outfit wouldn't do a thing to help him if he stepped outside, but he had no intention of leaving the warm, dry confines of the school for the cold, wet snow outside.

...

Andrew Crisp was surprised at Thomas' dress and demeanor, he looked totally different from the boy he had met in New York, or even seen yesterday. He was dressed like a punk and his formerly brown hair was now burnt orange. He'd seen the small mohawk the boy had been growing, but to see him so radically changed...

"Hey, Andy." Thomas walked by and gave him a sharp slap on the rear.

_Yeah, that's him alright..._

"You and Ray coming down for breakfast?" Tom asked.

"You are the weirdest person I have ever met."

"Thanks."

"How many personalities do you have?"

Thomas stopped and stroked his chin in feigned contemplation, "Well, I have a brain, and Junior has his own brain, so... Two."

"What's it like having another being living inside of you?"

Tom laughed, "You make it sound like I'm pregnant." He shrugged, "It's weird, because I'm not constantly controlling him, but he sleeps most of the time so we haven't really had any problems yet."

"How do you breathe?"

Thomas opened his mouth wide to allow Junior to slither out, then pointed to the back of his mouth, where two large openings were. "I breathe through these."

Andrew shook his head, "How do they not get blocked off?"

"I never thought about it..." Tom admitted, "Maybe my mouth is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside."

"I doubt that, for a mute you talk a lot." He teased.

"You never know how important something is to you until you lose it. When I lost the ability to speak, it was devastating. This collar," He pointed at the vocal projector, "Gave me the ability to speak again, and I'm going to make the most of it."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you..."

"You didn't. Now, we have to get to breakfast before everything good is taken and only the healthy junk is left."

Andrew laughed as Ray stepped out of his room, having finally finished fixing his hair.

"Hey, Thomas. What's so funny, Andy?"

Andy grinned, "Tom was just talking about how cute you were."

Thomas gave an equally wicked grin. "Actually I was just telling Andy not to try to sneak into my bed, again. I'm just not into him like that."

Andrew Crisp turned bright red as his brother broke into wild laughter.

...

"You know, if you so much as look at those kids funny, I'll kill you." Logan growled.

"I'd expect nothing lesss."

As Beast finally removed the collar, Slither stretched his neck several feet and made a show working the kinks and tension out of his neck. He was glad to be rid of the thing, glad they finally trusted him enough to take that cursed device off of him.

_Whoever created power dampening collars should be shot_, he thought ruefully.

...

Fortunately, nothing happened at breakfast, aside from Kurt receiving a slight electrical shock from his silverware.

_Accidentally_, of course.

And, there was the inevitable discussion of Thomas' hair and fashion sense, or lack thereof. Bobby opined that it was further proof of his mental instability, to which Thomas eloquently replied.

_This from the boy who dances naked in front of strangers for money?_

Andrew was surprised by that bit of information. Bobby was a stripper?

"I'm not completely naked, I have a g-string."

"TMI, dude."

The sentiment was echoed throughout most of the males present.

"How much for a lap dance?" Anole asked.

"You're underage, Vic. I can't do that. But I might give you a show, on the house."

_Not_ here _I hope..._ Andrew grimaced.

Bobby turned to Thomas, "As long as Thomas and his wandering hands aren't around."

_Go screw yourself, jackass. _Thomas said grumpily.

...

"I think Tom's trying to blind the enemy with that hair of his."

"Shut up, Roberto, or I'll fry you." Roberto de Costa was one of the few students at the school whose family was actually wealthier than Thomas', the other being Amara Aquila, who was an actual princess from the small South American country of Nova Roma. Kubark, of course, was _Heir Apparent_ to an intergalactic empire and wealthier than any human could imagine. Roberto had an on-again, off-again friendship with Ray, but both were so hot-headed and stubborn they usually ended up fighting. 'Berto's father was also a member of The Hellfire Club, but that didn't intimidate Ray at all.

_Thanks, Ray. It's okay, the whole point of this hairstyle is to get noticed, and there will always be fools who like to joke about it._ He turned to Roberto, _Magneto doesn't wear eye protection, maybe we could shine something bright in his eyes and daze him. Not exactly playing fair, I'll admit, but he's never been fair with us._

"That's low, cowardly and unsportsmanlike." Todd noted, "I like it."

"All we need is an ultra-powerful light and a test subject. I volunteer Roberto."

"I channel the fire of the sun, I don't think a searchlight would bother me much."

_There are things that burn brighter than the sun. Besides, you turn jet black, not blinding white or yellow. If your eyes are as unshakable as your bloated ego, though, nothing will ever blind you._

Thomas ignored Roberto's killing glare and went back to his breakfast.

...

Thomas sat by the window and watched as the others engaged in an epic snowball fight. Well, snowballs and various low-level energy beams, as well as Tabby's 'boom' explosive thingies. It was a miracle no one got killed.

It didn't bother him as much as one would think, being stuck inside while everyone else was out in the snow. He'd never found snow that appealing anyway, it was like standing in a giant slushie, cold and wet. How Ray didn't electrocute himself out there he had no idea.

He remembered that Andrew was going home in a few days, and soon things would be back to 'normal', he'd be back in his room, watching movies, annoying Ray, plotting mischief.

That aside, it was sad that Andy had to go, Ray deserved to have loving family around. Everyone did.

He wondered what kind of reception Andrew would receive upon returning home after spending over a week with the boy they'd disowned as their son because he was a mutant. He felt a familiar surge of anger at that. He'd been having a lot of problems with his temper of late, especially since his newest mutation. Everything seemed so... Wrong. So unfair. Society, the world.

Stupid, hurtful people doing stupid hurtful things.

Not that he was immune to stupidity and hurtfulness, but all he could seem to focus on was how bad things were, and how he was helpless to do anything about it.

Money can't solve everything. If anything, it makes the guilt worse.

He heard someone behind him and turned to see Aaron,_ sans_ collar, enter the room.

"Did they let you out, or is this a breakout. 'Cause I have to warn you, it's snowing outside."

Aaron laughed.

"Consider it probation for good behavior." Logan entered the library behind him.

"You ssshould warn your ssstudentsss. I do not want to be frozen or roasssted by sssome child who thinksss I am essscaping."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from the big bad kids." Logan chuckled.

"I hope you told Laura, at least." Seriously, Thomas thought, that girl is dangerous.

"I think everyone'll figure it out because I'll be standin' right next to him."

"Ssso none of you are worried that I might try sssomething? I'm offended." Aaron crossed his arms over his chest, "Am I no longer a threat?"

"Would you rather be back in the collar?"

"No."

"Then try to be as little a threat as possible." Logan turned to Thomas, "Is your entire family this annoying?"

"We're not annoying, we're witty and charming."

Logan snorted and shook his head.

"What about your thermal suit?"

"It would have to cover me completely in this kind of cold." He turned to Logan and grinned, "I guess this means no Wendigo hunts in the Yukon."

"Runnin' around the woods after cannibalistic monsters with a bunch of kids? No thanks. I can handle that alone."

"What do you do if you catch one?" Slither asked.

"Alpha Flight has a couple of shamans on the team. They cure 'em, turn 'em back into people. Dependin' on the circumstances of the curse, whether they did it willingly or not, they'll either put 'em in jail or send 'em home. I'd imagine they'd need a lot of therapy, though."

...

To be continued...

Notes :

The Wendigo Curse comes upon people who consume human flesh, whether they are desperate, starving people who eat a body or villains who want the power that being a Wendigo brings. It's a rather idiotic curse to me punish someone for eating human flesh by turning him/her into a monster with an eternal hunger for human flesh, forcing them to kill even more people is counterproductive at best, hypocritical at worst.


	85. Chapter 85

Snakehead

Chapter 85

...

"Well, I certainly didn't anticipate this." Beast walked into the medical wing carrying a frozen Glob Herman in his arms, 'Apparently Mr. Herman's gelatinous body is prone to freezing at higher temperatures than water." He lay the frozen student on the bed. "Luckily, it is only his outer layer."

A sound came from Glob that could have been a growl or profanity.

Dr. Sugarman placed a heated blanket over the boy. Normally, if a student were frozen solid, they'd be worried, but Glob Herman's body could withstand and regenerate from a great deal of punishment, he frequently, and intentionally, set himself on fire to show off, he could rip pieces of his flesh away and fling them at opponents and was once encased in concrete.

He could handle being partially frozen, though he was doubtless uncomfortable.

"You should hear the things he's saying," Quintin Quire walked smiling into the room to stand near one of his few friends, "His comments on your bedside manner alone would get him detention."

"I think we'll overlook that, considering the circumstances." Dr. Sugarman said patiently.

Sugarman was a mystery to Quintin, one of the few beings whose mind was too complex even for him to read. It wasn't that he had some sort of psychic defense, but his mind was constantly firing, jumbled thoughts and images ranging from complex genetic experiments to childish daydreams. How anyone could function like that was beyond even Quintin's ability to conceive.

He sat down and waited for his friend to thaw out.

...

Ray and Andrew came inside, laughing and cold. It had been years since they'd had a snowball fight together, and they'd teamed up to take everyone else down.

Unfortunately, Andrew hadn't known about Jamie's powers.

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"I thought you knew. You've been here long enough."

They headed up towards their room for some dry, warm clothes.

"How does he do that?"

Ray shrugged, "Dunno."

"I mean, how can he replicate his clothes?"

Ray laughed, "Why, you wanna see him naked?"

Andy punched him in the arm, "I'm serious, though. It just doesn't make sense."

"We've got kids here who can fly without wings, kids who can walk through walls, teleport-" He opened the door to his room and locked it behind them, "Who can literally freeze the water molecules in the air or shoot their bones at people. I stopped asking questions a long time ago."

They stripped out of their wet clothes and dumped them in the laundry basket.

"I'm gonna' take a hot shower. I feel half-frozen."

Ray nodded and pulled on some warm sweats before collapsing face first into his bed. He yawned and stretched like a cat, then wrapped himself in his blankets.

_Man, I'm getting lazy... Or soft._ He thought to himself._ I need to get back into action soon._

Ray looked over to the bed a few feet away. In a few days, Andy would be back in New York and Thomas would be back in his room. He hadn't really done much with Tom lately, he wondered if the other boy was bored. He couldn't go out because of the cold, but Tom wasn't much of an outdoor person anyway. Still, he'd caught glimpses of him in the window to the library, watching everyone playing in the snow.

He'd have to go see him in a little while.

...

Thomas arched a brow, "Frozen?"

"Like a popsicle." Todd laughed.

"I keep telling him to wear clothes, but nobody listens to me.

Jubilee rolled her eyes, "You're dressed like you're headed for a Billy Idol concert, your fashion tips don't count."

Thomas wished he still had a human tongue so that he could stick it out.

"At least I'm not wearing an ugly yellow raincoat every day of the year." He held his nose dramatically, "Seriously, do you even wash that thing?"

"My coat is not ugly!" Jubilee huffed, "And it doesn't stink!"

"He's probably just smelling Todd." Roberto called from across the room.

"You want a broken nose, da Costa?"

"Either you've been hanging out with Ray too long, or he's been hanging out with you too long. Putting you together is like storing dynamite in an ammunitions factory..."

The doorbell rang just then and Thomas, being closest, went to answer it.

He opened the door, caught a flash of scaly blue skin, and went berserk.

...

Mystique hadn't expected a warm welcome, but she'd never imagined_ he'd_ be the one to open the door.

Thomas Salmons eyes narrowed in rage and he literally flung himself at the shapeshifter, swinging wildly and hissing like an angry snake. Claws popped from his fingers, slashing at Mystique as his serpent's eyes flashed.

"How dare you come here?!" He punched her in the face viciously, "You bitch-bomber!"

She was taken aback by his incredible rage. Xavier had warned her that he was unstable, but this was insane.

As Thomas moved to punch her again he saw Ray lying beneath him, blood pouring from his nose. His eyes widened in horror and he paused just long enough for Raven to push him away as Roberto and Sam grabbed his arms and pulled him forcefully back into the mansion, still hissing and struggling.

Logan quickly stepped in, grabbed the boy and pulled him toward the medical wing, not bothering with apologies or even to check Raven's condition. She stepped inside, holding her bloody nose as dozens of students and staff appeared to investigate the ruckus.

"Well," She said grimly, "That could have went better."

"He could have bitten you." Roberto said without sympathy, then turned his back and walked away.

She noticed Berzerker and a boy who closely resembled him standing at the foot of the stairs. Both were half-dressed, wearing only sweatpants. Ray was looking in the direction Thomas had been taken, while the other boy was glaring at her with undisguised rage. Ray grabbed the other boy by the arm and rushed off after Thomas as Kurt appeared in the room.

"Mom!? Mein Gott, what happened to you!?"

...

"Does Tom do this a lot?" Andrew asked nervously.

"No. This is only the second time I've seen him like this. He's never threatened me, though. Not seriously, anyway."

"That blue chick was the whore who blew up the school, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, that's Mystique."

Andrew growled something under his breath that Ray didn't hear but would probably agree with.

...

Dr. Sugarman looked down at the sedated youth strapped to the infirmary bed, "His heart-rate's stable now. His adrenaline is easing back to normal levels." He turned his massive head to look at Xavier reproachfully, "You should have warned him she was coming."

"I honestly didn't expect this reaction, I thought he'd forgiven her." Xavier said ruefully. "And I didn't expect him to be the one to open the door."

"He didn't forgive her, he just said he wouldn't _kill_ her." Berzerker said angrily.

"Pity I didn't bring along some brass knuckles." Andrew added coldly, "I'd like a few swings at that whore myself."

Ray felt a headache coming on. How could Xavier _not_ know Thomas still had it out for Mystique? Sure, he'd stopped talking about the school blowing up, but that didn't mean he'd forgotten.

Xavier felt everyone in the room glaring at him even William. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "Raymond, I need you and Andrew to stay here until Thomas wakes up. Try to talk him down, he won't listen to me, not on this, and he only stopped beating Mystique when she took your form. She should be gone by the time he wakes."

"And I missed all the action, of course..." Herman moaned from his nearby bed, still half-frozen.

Quintin just grinned, "That, my friend, is why we have security cameras."

...

"Quite a bit of bruising and some deep scratches, but nothing broken." Beast started to put away his instruments. "You're lucky he's weak, even during these adrenaline flare-ups."

"Why didn't Xavier at least keep him in his room while came to visit?" Mystique asked, rubbing her sore jaw.

"A very good question, but I'm afraid you'll have to ask Charles that. I have no idea what he was thinking."

"If he was thinking at all." Kurt added bitterly.

"Kurt," Mystique said softly, "This is all getting to be too much. I don't know if I can trust Xavier to take care of you anymore."

Kurt was too stunned to speak, but Hank wasn't.

"This from the woman who blew up the school, with all the kids trapped inside, tried multiple times to kill her own son and left The Brotherhood living in poverty in a broken-down hovel with no adult supervision." The blue scientist said bluntly, "I appreciate that you're trying to reform, but that by means negates your crimes. Charles has made many mistakes, some of them foolish, but none of them were intentionally harmful."

Mystique had no way to reply to that. She'd intentionally done so many horrible things she'd lost count of her actions. She did not know if those sins could ever be forgiven, but from the looks she'd received and Thomas' attack she knew that they would never be forgotten.

As Beast left, she turned to Kurt, "That blond boy with Ray, who is he?"

"His brother, Andrew." Kurt said, still trying to process her suggestion that he leave the school.

"He hates me, doesn't he?"

"Probably." He said simply.

...

On the way to Xavier's office Mystique couldn't help but notice a tall mutant leaning against the wall, arms akimbo, eyes following her every move. He looked for all the world like a snake with arms and legs. She recognized him after a moment; Slither, Aaron Salomon, a minor league mutant supremacist and terrorist.

_What the Hell is he doing here?_

As she walked past the glaring mutant, it suddenly hit her.

_Salomon._

_Salmons._

They were probably related...

She started walking faster, and, fortunately, Slither didn't follow.

...

"Yes, Mr. Salmons... I'll admit a slight... _Oversight_ on my part- No. Of course not!" Xavier sighed loudly as Marcus Salmons angrily castigated him over the phone, "He's been avoiding the weather, he hasn't so much as stepped outside in days. He hasn't even gone near the front door... Charges? No, I can assure you Miss. Darkholme won't press charges. She is still, technically, a wanted fugitive- No, it's not reckless. She's reformed- Yes, she blew up the school, but that- Mr. Salmons-"

Xavier cursed as the man hung up on him.

He looked up suddenly as the door to his office opened and Raven and Kurt stepped in.

"Raven... I'd like to apologize for this... _Incident_."

"I'm withdrawing Kurt, Charles. He's going to train at The Hellfire Academy."

"What!?"

"I don't trust your judgement anymore Charles. Besides, at The Academy we'll have more time together. Anne-Marie is there, and we can be together as a family."

"But, you don't have custody... The Wagners..."

"Agree with me. They should be calling shortly."

Xavier looked over at Kurt, "Is this what you want? What you really want? What about your friends?"

"I can visit them. I'm sorry, Professor, but I believe this is best."

"What about The X-Men?"

Kurt was silent for a moment, considering that. He loved being an X-Man, he loved his team and his friends.

"If you truly need me, you can call me, and I'll come."

"Would you at least sleep on it? Give it some thought?"

Kurt nodded, "Of course."

Xavier buried his head in his hands as they left, wondering whether or not he truly was a failure. He had tried to keep his students safe and nearly gotten them killed on several occasions by his own actions, he taught them to fight, to defend themselves and humanity, but humanity didn't want them. His oldest friends had become his greatest enemies. Despite all of his power he'd been unable to stop his own son's descent into madness. Several of his students thought him a complete fool, some had left the school and now one of his best students, one of his hand-picked X-Men, was contemplating leaving.

_Where did I go wrong?_

...

To be continued...

...

William is Sugarman's first name in my stories.

I'm sorry for the delay in my stories, I've been dealing with illness. Hopefully I can get back into my stride soon.


	86. Chapter 86

Snakehead

Chapter 86

...

Ray and Andrew returned to their room to dress in more appropriate clothing, with Ray for once wearing proper shoes and socks instead of those sandals he was so oddly fond of.

The floor of the medical wing was cold as Hell.

"You said that last time this happened he had a spontaneous mutation, do you think that will happen again?" Alex asked as he pulled on a t-shirt.

"I think if it was going to happen, it would have done so by now." Ray responded, "I think he just snapped this time. Thomas can be too nice sometimes, but when gets like this, he's almost a different person."

"_Almost_. He stopped when she turned into you..." Normally Andrew would tease Ray about Thomas having a 'crush' on him, but this was a very bad time for jokes.

"Mystique is many things, but she's not stupid. She knows how to manipulate people. It's probably her greatest strength."

"Is that why Kurt is thinking of leaving?"

"We've all been through a lot, including Kurt. He's probably confused and upset right now, his schoolmate just attacked his mother, again. Even if she is a former terrorist whose been trying to kill us all for years, she's still his mom." Ray shook his head, "Xavier really messed up this time. He should have warned us she was coming."

"'Messed up' is a polite way of putting it." Andrew replied.

...

Toad sat beside the bed, a medium-size package sitting next to him. It was addressed to Thomas, but, of course, Thomas wasn't in any shape to be opening packages. He was still out cold. Sugarman had x-rayed the box and said it contained a miniature resin replica of an Assyrian Lammasu, whatever that was. The image vaguely looked like a Sphinx with a funny hat.

Thomas had strange tastes.

He was still wearing his mesh shirt and ripped jeans, but his Doc Martins and jacket sat in a far corner.

Todd sighed, this was what, the fourth time he'd physically attacked someone? Of course, he himself had attacked The X-Men, or been attacked by them, countless times, but they'd known what they were doing.

Mostly.

With Thomas it was more like Wolverine's berserker rages, wild and vicious. He would stop for a friend, at least.

...

Thomas' mind was hazy from the sedatives and difficult to reach, he was pretty well out of it.

Xavier hadn't tried to reach him, the boy had made it abundantly clear he wasn't particularly fond of him, and in his state he might lash out and hurt himself.

But someone had to see what was wrong.

He was half-afraid he'd walk into some bizarre and disturbing erotic fantasy involving Ray.

Fortunately for all involved, he did not.

A dark forest filled with hissing shapes, some of them humanoid, met him as he entered. The images were slightly blurred, doubtless the effects of the sedatives on Thomas' mind. He ignored the shapes and walked on through the tangled wood. It was warm, and a thick fog clung to the ground, making it hard to see very far. He caught a better glimpse of one of the figures, and recognized it at once.

_Serpent People._

They did not approach or retreat, merely watched with glistening eyes.

Thomas' mental self sat in a clearing filled with serpents, picking them up occasionally while others slithered over him.

"Hey, Tom."

Thomas looked up lazily at Quintin.

"This is a dangerous place." He said simply.

"You're here."

"Snakes won't hurt me." He picked up a large rattler and draped it over his shoulders as proof, "Did Xavier send you?"

"I was just curious to see what's going on in that head of yours. Turns out it isn't as empty as I thought."

Thomas smiled.

"You're still a jackass, Quintavius."

Quintin smiled back.

"Hey, I'm braving this creepy forest to find you, you could at least be polite, moron."

"How is..._ She?_" There was no emotion in his voice.

"Bruised up. Nothing broken. What the Hell were you thinking?"

"That she'd nearly killed my friends, several times. Other than that, not much."

"What would you have done if Xavier had told you she was coming?"

"Lock myself in my room and try to keep my word not to go out and kill her."

"Did you want to kill her?"

"I wasn't thinking at all, I just wanted to hurt her, otherwise I didn't care. The one I _want_ to kill is Magneto..." He looked even paler, "I don't even really feel guilty about it... There's something seriously wrong with me, isn't there?"

"Probably, but I don't know anyone who isn't a little nuts."

"You had another adrenaline spike, but as far as Dr. Sugarman can tell, you haven't mutated further."

Thomas looked slightly relieved.

The scenery changed, now they were inside an Egyptian temple. Thomas was still sitting with the snakes even as priests walked back and forth, ignoring them. The Hieroglyphics along the walls depicted, among other things, a great serpent swallowing the sun. The entire place seemed dedicated to serpents.

"Set?"

"Not the Elder Demon. The Egyptian deity who took his name. Apophis."

"Isn't he evil too?"

Thomas smirked, "Yes."

The scenery changed again.

It was suddenly bright and hot, the sun shining overhead told him it was around mid-day.

They were on a rooftop overlooking a vast, beautiful city whose bizarre architecture was immediately explained by the citizens walking the streets below.

More Serpent People. An entire city of them.

They were elegantly clad in long robes with elaborate designs in gold or silver. A few were dressed more plainly, doubtless 'commoners'. He wondered idly how a poor Serpent Man would dress...

Quintin could also see a few ragged humans carrying goods or following the serpents, heads bowed.

Slaves.

Thomas finally stood up and walked over beside him, seemingly as baffled as he was.

A huge serpent with a beautiful human head framed by locks of serpents slithered near the building they were on, several human slaves attendant upon it.

"A Man-Serpent..." Thomas said in awe. "This is what Valusia was like when The Serpent People ruled, before the humans revolted."

"Can you blame them?" Quintin motioned to the haggard creatures cowering before their masters.

The city was bedecked in wealth, vast spires and towers rising above palaces, built of precious stones of every hue and the blood of countless slaves.

"No. No I can't. But this is only a dream, based on the books I read, books penned by the human victors." He was quickly becoming more lucid, "I hope I wake up before I go all the way back to Set himself."

Quintin noticed that one particularly heavily burdened and shackled slave bore a striking resemblance to Magneto. He doubted it was a coincidence, he was in Thomas' mind, after all. Thomas didn't even seem to notice him. He had no doubt that if he looked he would find others Thomas' disliked, such as Mystique, Scott, Kelley or possibly even Xavier himself.

Suddenly everything rippled and he could feel a stirring, the boy was waking up.

The city vanished and everything began to fade to white...

...

Thomas' eyes flickered open.

Dr. Sugarman hurried over, "How are you feeling?" He asked kindly.

"I-I'm alright. Just... Confused." He sat up slowly and saw Ray, Andrew and Todd watching anxiously.

"That bad, huh?"

...

To be continued...

A Lammasu has the body of a bull, the head of a man and large wings. It could be mistaken for a Sphinx from a distance or in a blurry image. It is a creature from Mesopotamian mythology.


	87. Chapter 87

Snakehead

Chapter 87

...

Marcus Salmons stepped from his black sedan and strode angrily to the school's front door, expensive shoes crushing snow beneath him.

Another attack.

At this rate, he was afraid his son would have a heart attack before he hit 16.

The door opened before he could press the bell, and it was the blue, furry face of Dr. McCoy that greeted him.

He wasn't surprised Xavier hadn't come to greet him personally.

"How is he?" He asked, stepping inside without further pleasantries.

"Well, it wasn't nearly as hard on his body as the last time. He's in his room."

"Is _she_ still here?"

"No, Mystique left hours ago."

Marcus nodded and headed for the stairs, only to stop short at the sight of Aaron Salomon.

"I thought you were in a cell."

"I got out on good behavior."

"Don't worry about him, Logan's keeping an eye on him, and he hasn't caused any trouble since he arrived." Beast scratched his chin, "Oh, I forgot, Thomas is staying in a guest room while Ray's brother is here." He bounded up the stairs, "I'll show you where he is."

"He'sss in hisss old room, visssiting with Ray and Andy." Aaron hissed.

"Are you sure that's safe? I don't want him to attack -"

"It's fine. The only thing that stopped his attack on Mystique was when she took on Ray's form, so I doubt he'd hurt them." Beast was a little surprised that Marcus was so concerned about Thomas possibly hurting Ray or Andrew, but he was a good man, underneath all of his bluster.

...

Thomas set the Lamassu down next to the Sphinx. It wasn't an Egyptian creature, but it was eye-catching and rather cool.

"So, what do Lamassu do?" Todd asked.

"They were guardians and protective spirits for both commoners and royalty. They were found outside many palaces even the gates of cities..." His eyes narrowed bitterly "Several of them were destroyed by those ISIS bastards, along with countless other archeological treasures..."

A knock at the door startled everyone.

"Thomas?"

Thomas slapped his forehead, "It's my dad!"

Marcus knocked again and Ray answered the door.

"Ray." He said politely.

"Mr. Salmons." Ray said equally politely, and moved aside to allow the man into the room. It was becoming slightly crowded.

Thomas was standing by his bookshelf, and Marcus couldn't help but notice his small orange mohawk and punk clothing.

But right now that didn't matter, it was his mind that he was worried about.

"Hello, Todd."

"Hi." Todd said nervously.

"This is my brother Andrew." Ray nodded at Andrew, who held out his hand and they shook.

"A pleasure to meet you." Andrew looked at Ray, then back to Marcus, "Do you want to talk to Tom alone?"

"Yes, but I won't run you boys out, we'll talk in Tom's new room."

...

Thomas briefly explained to his father what had happened, and Marcus just shook his head sadly.

It shouldn't have happened in the first place.

That woman should have been in jail, for one. And Xavier should have the sense God gave pigs to know that Thomas would not react well to seeing Mystique show up unannounced in the school she'd blown up a few years back, with most of his friends inside.

And it wasn't just a massive blow to Thomas, now the Wagner boy was thinking of leaving. From what he'd learned of The X-Men, Kurt Wagner had been there almost from the beginning, now he was considering leaving to study under his terrorist mother because Thomas had lost control and beat the Hell out of her.

Someone had to get Thomas under control, for his own good as well as everyone else's. His aggression was increasing, his adrenal glands seemed to be out of control and he wasn't exactly stable to begin with.

And Xavier couldn't seem to do anything to stop it.

"Thomas... Have you ever seriously considered killing someone? Honestly?"

Thomas gave out an odd sigh, "Yes. Magneto, Mystique, Senyaka, Scott, Duncan, Kelly..."

Marcus put his head in his hands, this was getting out of hand, "Thomas, do you ever want to hurt any of your fellow students?"

"No. There are kids I don't much like, but I don't_ hate_ them."

"I don't know if I should let you stay here. Aside from your friends, this place has done nothing good for you."

"They've taught me to fight, given me medical attention that a normal hospital couldn't handle... I almost died the first time my adrenaline went haywire, I doubt a conventional hospital could have saved me." He shrugged, "Besides, I have no where else to go. I'm not going to work for government dogs like Iron Pig, and Mystique teaches at The Hellfire Academy. There aren't many options for a mutant. Xavier may be an idiot, but he's better than Magneto or Iron Pig."

Marcus smiled, "I'll have to tell Tony Stark of his new moniker next time I see him. It fits him well..."

"So many things have been going wrong lately. My first breakdown, Magneto assembling his new Acolytes and nearly killing Ray, another breakdown and now Kurt's thinking of leaving. Ray's only just got back on his feet..."

"Magneto," Marcus spoke the word as if it were a curse, "They made a mistake, saving that... _Creature's_ life when that Vampire got to him."

"They didn't do it for him, they did it for his kids. The irony is, he didn't care anything about them. He left Wanda in a mental institution for most of her childhood and treated Pietro like a slave. They've both disowned him now." His voice grew soft "It was harder for Pietro, Wanda hated and resented her father for leaving her in that awful place, but Pietro had always wanted to please him, to earn his affection. A kid shouldn't have to 'earn' affection from his parents, it should be freely given. Paternal love, right? Well, Magneto doesn't love anybody but himself. He's poison, he ruins everything he touches."

Thomas wasn't exactly ready to give himself a Glasgow Grin, cut off his eyelids and start knifing people, but he was angry, so very, very angry.

_Why?_

What good did it do?

It didn't matter, because in those moments reason and logic flew out the window and he was driven by pure rage.

"Didn't Doctor McCoy say something about removing or monitoring your adrenal glands?" Marcus asked, interrupting his train of thought, "Hopefully there is some kind of technology that can keep them balanced, removal would definitely be a last resort."

Thomas shrugged, "Xavier's not getting rid of me so easily. Someone has to stay and torment him."

Marcus found himself hoping the boy was joking. He didn't have much respect for Xavier, but knew enough not to intentionally antagonize him.

"I should talk to Kurt... But I'm probably the last person he wants to see right now. I don't want him to throw away all the time he's spent here because I can't control my temper."

"You could ask one of your friends to talk to him, see if this is what he really wants."

"That just seems cowardly, though. Like I'm afraid to face him. But, at the same time, I don't want to face him because I just beat up his mother... Why would he talk to me? And what would I say?"

"Tell him not to throw away his life here because you lost your temper."

...

Kurt Wagner looked up at the knock on his door. He had a pretty good idea who it was, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to him right now.

"Hey, Kurt, it's me, Thomas."

He was right.

"What do you want?"

"For you to stay with The X-Men." Thomas spoke through the door, "Just because I'm out of control doesn't mean you have to leave everything you know and love behind."

"Oh, that's all." Kurt laughed scornfully, "It's not all about _you_, you know. I have a mother, a sister. My mother may not be the best person on earth, but she's still my mother. I want to be with my family. I love it here, I love being an X-Man, but I have to choose."

"No, you don't. Everyone, well, almost everyone here has a family. They can go visit them any time, and they do. But they come back, because they have a family here, too. This doesn't have to be your life, just a part of it." There was a brief pause, "What are you looking at, da Costa? Never see a guy talking to a door before?"

There was a brief exchange of shouted insults.

"Sorry about that."

"Why did you even come here?" Kurt growled, "What makes you think I'll listen to you?"

"I came here because I may be a jerk, but I'm not going to send one of my friends to try to clean up my mistakes." Thomas sighed and Kurt heard him lean against the door, "And I don't expect you to listen to me, this is, what, the third time I've attacked your mother? I'd hate me too."

"I know you can't help it, the aggression, but I still don't want to talk to you. Not now, anyways. Please go away."

He heard Thomas sigh and his footsteps slowly recede down the hall.

...

To be continued...

Notes -

Lamassu are strange in that the term was originally applied to the female of the species, the males being Shedu. Now the term Lamassu is typically used to refer to the male. In fact, I've never seen a depiction of a female Lamassu.

ISIS did, in fact, destroy several massive, ancient Lamassu statues in Iraq when they took over along with the ancient city they were 'guarding'. Worthless pieces of human filth.

The Glasgow Grin and no eyelids is a reference to the insane Creepypasta serial killer Jeff the Killer, who did just that before murdering his family.


	88. Chapter 88

Snakehead

Chapter 88

...

One of the chief difficulties in handling the Reavers was the fact that no one outside of Donald Pierce and the Reavers themselves understood exactly how the cyborgs worked.

For instance, the officers at the maximum security facility where the captured cyborg terrorists were imprisoned knew that Pretty Boy could enter a person's mind using the fiber-optic filaments in his artificial eyes and reprogram them to serve the Reaver's goals or desires.

What they _didn't_ know was that he could tap into any computer interface with those same cables and take control of the entire system.

Which was what he was doing now.

His fiber-optic filaments were stretched into the keypad for his cell, a keypad which connected with the central computer of the Vault, swiftly making their way through circuitry and programming, making alterations as he went

There was the sound of all cell doors and restraints opening just before the power died, leaving the facility in near-total darkness. By the time the flashlights were up the riot was already starting. Super-powered criminals of all types began attacking the staff and personnel.

Unlike a civilian prison, the guards here were military and armed with high-powered guns. They also had an armory, something the prisoners quickly took advantage of.

Pretty Boy, Wade Cole, Angelo Macon, Murray Reese and the cyborg known only as Skullbuster used the confusion to slip out into the night, stealing a minivan from the staff parking lot. Once they had reached a reasonable distance away they contacted Bonebreaker, who had Gateway teleport them back to Australia.

"Where's Mr. Pierce?" Reese asked almost as soon as they stepped out of the van onto Australian sand.

"Hidden location. I tried to hack the FBI, but they're apparently keeping his files off-line," Bonebreaker explained, "They really don't want anyone findin' him."

"We do not need him." Lady Deathstrike emerged from the old saloon that served as part of their base in the ghost town of Cooterman's Creek. Her body had been further enhanced, more sharp edges and less flesh, though, oddly enough, she now had long, flowing black hair.

Pretty Boy whistled, and barely missed a swipe of Yuriko's claws that would have taken his head off.

"Do not take me for a weak-willed little trollop, gai-jin!"

"Sorry! I just ain't seen a sheila in so long..." He whined.

"Quit thinking with your spark plug and start actin' like a soldier for once in your life!" Reese growled. Pretty Boy made have freed them all, but that didn't mean he liked the dumb punk.

"I am a soldier." Pretty Boy shot back, "And it's a _gear shift_!"

"Silence!" Everyone fell quiet at Lady Deathstrike's command. "Pierce wanted the elimination of all mutants. I don't care, if they are to inherit the earth, then so be it. I'm only interested in one mutant. He owes me a great debt," She licked her razor sharp claws, "And I fully intend to collect."

...

_Gold Team, Teams G and B assemble in the cafeteria at once. Wear your uniforms._ Xavier's telepathic voice broadcast throughout the mansion.

Ray quickly slid out of his clothes and into his X-Men uniform.

"You're on Team G, right?" Andrew asked as Ray pulled on his boots.

"That's right. The Greatest."

"If they need both teams in uniform it must be something bad..."

Ray turned to his brother and smiled, "I'll be alright. If I survived Apocalypse, Magneto and the sentinels whatever's out there shouldn't be too much. Besides, both teams together, that's a _lot_ of X-Men."

"With only one airplane."

Ray paused for a second, then shrugged, "Well, I hope it's close." He smiled, "Smell you later, baby brother."

"Try not to wet your _Depends_, Rachel."

They both laughed as Ray walked out into the hallway, Andrew close behind.

He wanted to know what was going on.

...

"There has been a mass break-out and riot at the West Virginia Maximum Security Vault. A large number of prisoners have escaped, including several of our old enemies. Others have holed up in the prison, taking the remaining staff members hostage."

"How?" Scott asked, "Did someone attack the facility?"

"Apparently not. At least, not physically. From what little information we've been able to gather from escaped staff members, someone hacked into their systems, opened all of the cell doors and cut the power."

"Who are held there?"

"Among others, Juggernaut, most of the Reavers, Rhino, Scorpion, Absorbing Man, Harpoon-"

"Harpoon!" Thomas hissed angrily from the doorway and ran into the room, "He's that bastard that _shot_ Richard with a harpoon!"

Harpoon was an Inuit mercenary and spree-killer who had very nearly killed Richard. For unknown reasons, his group, the Marauders, had been hired to hunt down other mutants, but had been captured shortly after the attack in San Francisco.

Both Thomas and Marcus Salmons paled a bit.

"What about Scalphunter?" Scalphunter was a sadistic Native American mass-murderer who had shot Richard just after Harpoon stabbed him.

Richard had been protecting Tommy from the mercenaries at the time, and both had very nearly died.

"He's being held at a different prison. But his fellow Marauder Blockbuster is also at the West Virginia Vault."

Everyone could almost feel the hatred and anger radiating from Thomas. Several larger individuals moved to restrain him if necessary.

"You're not going, Thomas. We'll deal with this." Logan raised his right fist and popped his claws, "Harpoon is a disgrace to the Inuit people, some of whom happen to be friends of mine. If I see him, he's going down hard."

"There won't be enough room on your jet to fit everyone." Marcus noted, "If you'd like, you can use my private jet as well. It's not as fast as yours, but far faster than a car or bus."

"Thank you, Mr. Salmons." Xavier sounded surprised, "I was wondering how we would arrange transportation. I cannot guarantee that it will not be damaged, however."

"I don't care. As long as you catch that son of a bitch."

"I can probably fly it." Scott stated, "There's no need to put your pilot or crew in danger."

Marcus hadn't considered that, "Thank you, Mr. Summers. I should have thought of that."

"It's alright. You're worried, rightfully so. We'll stop these scumbags before they can hurt anyone else, you have my word."

...

As the teams prepared to leave Ray felt a soft swat on his behind.

"Be careful out there." Thomas smiled, though his eyes betrayed a chaos of emotions. He was upset, and not just for Ray's safety, this time. This time it involved friends _and_ family.

"I will. You be careful too. Once we leave, you should go see Dr. Sugarman, in case, you know..."

Thomas merely nodded in understanding. He was lucky Harpoon was several states away, or, perhaps, Harpoon was lucky, if he got close enough Thomas _would_ kill him.

"Get a room you two, before I start puking rainbows..." Andy cut in, though there wasn't much humor behind the joke. "If you get yourself killed, Ray, I'll have you brought back from the dead so I can kick your ass."

Ray smiled, "You wish, Annie."

He turned to join the last of the group in boarding the bus to the private air strip.

Xavier cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I should have told you sooner, but you won't be coming on this mission."

Ray's face twisted in shock and a little embarrassment, "What?"

"Snow." Xavier explained, "Snow is simply ice, and ice is water. You might be able to play in the snow, but if you try to fully utilize your powers while standing in snow, you'll be electrocuted."

Everyone knew it was the truth, but it left Ray feeling incredibly frustrated. He should have recognized that fact, but he'd been to excited to take snow into consideration.

"We'll need strong mutants to protect the school, and most of our strongest are going to be in another state. If someone were to attack while we were gone..."

"I'd still be stuck inside." Ray noted.

"We need protection within as well as without, you know that."

Ray felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Andy.

"He's right, you know. Someone has to protect me from Tom."

Ray laughed despite himself.

...

Ray watched the van drive away, and sighed heavily. He wanted to help his team, his friends, but he couldn't.

Not this time, at least.

...

To be continued...

Why isn't Thomas angrier and out of control? Because he trusts Wolverine to do the job.

Gold Team is the main X-Men, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Beast, etc... Nightcrawler is still on the team, that drama will have to be resolved later.

It's odd that the Marauders had two evil Native American members, when there are so few Native American characters, good or otherwise. In the comics, Harpoon disabled both Richard and Tommy and Scalphunter shot them.

Blockbuster is a massive Caucasian, he has superhuman strength and durability.

In _Wolverine and The X-Men_, Vertigo and Blockbuster were the ones hunting Berzerker before he was rescued by Cyclops in the episode _eXcessive Force_.

Without Mr. Sinister in this AU, the Marauders are just mercenaries. Arclight, Blockbuster, Harpoon, Prism, Riptide, Scalphunter, Scrambler and Vertigo. Sabertooth was not a Marauder in this AU, Gambit was not involved and there was no Mutant Massacre.

Gai-jin - derogatory term used by the Japanese for foreigners.


	89. Chapter 89

Snakehead

Chapter 89

...

Sam whistled loudly as they stepped aboard Marcus' jet.

"The things money can buy..."

"Hmph, not nearly as big as my dad's plane." Roberto scoffed. His father, Emanuel de Costa, was a high-ranking member of The Hellfire Club and a prominent businessman.

It was a large, comfortable cabin with blue velvet couches and chairs, a big-screen TV and a mini bar.

"No drinking!" Scott barked as Bobby eyed the bar.

Bobby rolled his eyes and gave a salute, "_Ja, Herr Summers!_"

_Thank you very much, Thomas, for giving me that stupid nickname_. Scott thought wearily.

"_Velvet?_ Positively Gausch." Amara shook her head sadly, "Now I see where Thomas gets his poor taste in clothing." Being a Princess, heir to the throne of Roma Nova, she _had_ to be aware of what was 'in' among high society.

"Yeah, money's wasted on the rich." Laura shot both rich kids a glare as Scott went into the cabin.

"Xavier shouldn't have shot Ray down like that, especially in front of his brother." Kyle stated.

Everyone nodded in agreement, even Roberto.

"True, but what's done is done." Laura noted calmly, "Right now we have a bunch of escaped super-criminals to deal with. We need to focus on them."

"I'll bet S.H.I.E.L.D. is already there. Probably The Avengers, too." Sam ran a hand through his blond hair, "They might not be so happy to see us."

"Great, I've been meaning to spit in Iron Pig's face for a while now." Iron Man was one subject upon which both Roberto and Ray agreed. The Super-Powers Registration Act was the mutant equivalent of Apartheid. You'd be hard-pressed to find a mutant who liked Tony Stark. Even some of his fellow Avengers, like Captain America, had no real respect for him anymore.

As they were on a civilian aircraft, there was a very strong likelihood that they would have to land outside the affected area. Fortunately, there were many small and/or private airstrips nearby, almost all of them had been 'requested' clearance for Marcus Salmons' private plane. Few people would deny an extremely wealthy and influential man such a simple request.

...

Ray flung his arms wide, "Welcome to the _Thunderdome_."

Andy snickered at the theatrics.

They were standing in The Danger Room, which was pretty big and empty at the moment.

But all that could change with the flick of a switch.

"Wanna' see a demonstration of my awesome powers?"

"_Two men enter, one man leaves_... Are you planning on getting rid of me, Ray?"

"Maybe." Ray replied, "I'll take you to the control room so you can watch me being awesome."

Andrew just laughed, "Awesome? _You?_"

Ray shot his younger brother a withering glare.

"Just you watch, Annie."

"I'll watch you being _mediocre_." Andrew's eyes glinted a challenge.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing." Ray said in his best Darth Vader voice. "I'll be so _shine_ and _chrome_ you'll go blind! And don't touch anything. There are settings here that can cause real injuries, even death."

"Death?" Andrew repeated in shock "When Xavier does something, he goes all-out, doesn't he?"

"Those settings are for people like Wolverine or X-23. The ones you could probably drop a nuke on without killing them."

Ray thought over the various simulations. He wanted to use one that had a formidable opponent, to show off his skills, but not one he'd likely lose too. That would be just plain embarrassing, especially with Andy watching. After being shot down in front of Andy by Xavier like that, he needed a little ego boost.

"You know you don't have to do anything to impress me, right?" Andy asked, patting him on the back. "I mean, I've seen you fight some of the toughest creatures on earth. You don't have to prove anything to me. You're my big brother, and I... Crap, I sound all soft and mushy."

"Worried about me?" Ray asked teasingly.

Andy smirked, "You're just so soft and weak, somebody's got to take care of you."

Ray punched Andy playfully in the arm, "Jerk."

"That's what family is for, _Rachel_."

"Still, I want to show you how this works. It's like the Holodecks from_ Star Trek_."

"You mean it's always screwing up and trapping people in bizarre, dangerous fantasies?"

Ray chuckled, "Something like that."

...

The medical wing,

"I'm surprised you're so calm."

"The calm before the storm, Dr. Sugarman. Inside I want to take one of Harpoon's harpoons and shove them up his a-_butt_." Thomas quickly caught the swear before it came out.

Sure enough, his heartbeat was accelerated and his adrenaline levels were elevated.

"How are you _not_ bouncing off the walls?" William asked as he prepared an adrenal inhibitor shot.

"I can't touch Harpoon from here. Maybe we'll get lucky and Juggernaut will step on him or something..."

"Is this how it's going to be from now on?" Marcus interrupted, "Constant medication to keep Thomas' condition under control?"

"Hopefully this will even out after his body finishes developing." Dr. Sugarman stated, "If it does not, then that is an unfortunate possibility."

"It could always be worse. I could be a Wendigo..."

...

Andy shook his head, "You know, video game companies would pay a fortune for this kind of technology."

"Xavier has several fortunes, and he doesn't trust people enough to not abuse the technology. If Arcade got his hands on this, for example, he could make a Murderworld ten times more dangerous than any he's ever created before." Ray wiped the sweat from his brow with his gloved hand. He'd been training against an unusually powerful sentinel and it was quite the workout. "Impressed?"

"Yeah, that sentinel was a lousy shot. It didn't hit you once! It was like an Imperial Stormtrooper, couldn't hit it's mark with a Death Star..."

"Ha ha..."

"I don't know who is going to protect you when I leave."

"Thomas is already ready to kill anyone who so much as looks at me cross-eyed..."

...

Most of the weaker escapees had either fled the area or been recaptured, but some were proving far more difficult to handle than others, and the facility was still under inmate control. The X-Men found themselves joining The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. Army Special Forces in a pitched battle.

"Hey, Stark!" Iron Man turned his head to see The X-Men approaching, "How'd you spend yer thirty pieces of silver?" Wolverine asked with undisguised contempt, "Why don'cha go all the way an' hang yerself too!"

Tony Stark rolled his eyes behind his mask. _The X-Men, just great._

He barely dodged what surely would have been a lethal blow from Juggernaut, who, like almost every other superhuman on the planet, resented his attempts to enforce The Superpowers Registration Act.

"Stand still so I can pummel you, you traitor!"

"Kid Gladiator will do the pummeling!" Juggernaut looked up just in time to see the purple, mohawked boy pound into him, driving his indestructible body like a spike into the dirt.

"I had him..." Tony murmured.

"That is not what I saw, puny earthling."

Juggernaut roared and tried to pull himself out of the hole, but he was wedged in too tight.

"One down, a few hundred to go..."

...

To be continued...

Notes:

I'm sorry this has been so slow to update. I've been having personal problems and haven't been able to concentrate that well. Hopefully I can get back to posting regularly soon.

Why is Bobby going when he's on C-Team? Snow and ice are his element.

I threw in some not-so-subtle Mad Max references.


End file.
